Too Far Over the Edge
by Kintora
Summary: An accident left her mute and parentless long ago. Now in high school, everyone ignores her or makes fun of her. No one knows or seems to care that she's hurting deep inside... until her worst enemy, Sora, realizes she'll suffer beyond repair. SK, AU.
1. Teases, Pranks, and Everything Ranked

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**Too Far Over the Edge**

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Chapter 1

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Author: Kintora

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A/N: A new story! Well, pretty OOC, but that may change once this story progresses. If you know my KH stories well, you'd know what the main coupling is. But if this is your first time reading one of them, I hope you like straight pairings. Sora/Kairi.

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Kairi walked down the halls of the school as calmly as possible – just another day, another six hours of torture. Was she really such a freak? Did she even look like one? No, she didn't. It was just her "disability."

She stopped by her locker and twisted the combination a couple of times. As soon as she tugged it open, piles of hardcover books fell atop of her. Kairi made a silent gasp as she was sent to the hard floor and landed with a painful thud on her rump. She could feel tears of embarrassment threatening to fall from her dull, lavender eyes as she bit her lip.

"Looks like someone's off to a bad start this morning. Hey, how are you doing? You need a hand or something?" an arrogant voice taunted her. She knew who it belonged to and she didn't even have to spare him a glance to _know_ it was him, "Oh, wait. I forgot. She can't even speak, can she?"

Kairi picked herself up and gathered the heavy textbooks in her arms. Her gaze drifted over to meet a blue-eyed boy who was surrounded by group of the other preppy students. Her eyes hardened as she glared icily at them.

The blue-eyed boy, Sora, smirked at her. His hands were stuffed into his baggy black jeans as he leaned against the locker. But seeing that he had caught her immediate attention, he straightened up and crossed his arms over his chest, wrinkling his windbreaker in the process. Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka stood at his sides and mimicked his amused grin. Where were his other friends? They'd probably slept in and were coming to school later. It was just like Riku and Rikku to be late - the bitter irony of it all.

Kairi didn't want anymore of their sick jokes. She simply looked away and closed her locker before turning briskly around and walking away. No later than a few seconds, she felt something hard graze her arm and knock half the textbooks back onto the floor. Bending down quickly she began to scoop them up. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Wakka's blitzball rolling to her side.

Sora and the rest of them were still staring at her as the rest of the students in the hallway seemed to freeze and watch the scene. No one there would help Kairi, and she knew that. She would never expect them to. If anybody did, they'd regret it. Sora and his little clique would see to that.

Sora and his clique. It sounded oddly cliche, but that's what happens when anybody is a part of the most powerful group of students in the eleventh grade. Just wait until the senior year, and he'd gain almost absolute control over everyone else. It's just how the social system worked where she was. Just lovely, wasn't it?

Kairi stood once more and decided to give the stupid blue-stripped ball back to them. She kicked it and sent the item hurling into Wakka's waiting arms. She offered a meaningless smile at them despite the situation and continued her way. The buzzing of the bell sounded and the people scurried off to their classes.

Once she was in class, Miss Tifa helped her put the textbooks away and questioned why Kairi had so many books with her.

'Something came up in the hallway,' Kairi gestured with her hands.

Miss Tifa understood, "Who? I can write them up."

Kairi shook her head and motioned with her hands again, 'I'm fine, there's no need… Thank you though.'

Miss Tifa smiled, "You're such a nice girl. But if they ever do that again, you _must_ report them to the other teachers, or at least to me, okay?" Miss Tifa tossed her long black hair behind her shoulder and planted her hands on her hips, "School is a place where everyone should feel safe." Kairi replied with her own unaffected smile.

After having Miss Tifa's class, she had Mr. Leon and the student teacher, Yuffie, for Physical Education and health. Oh joy, she knew what today's class would be… Yuffie had told her about the dancing lessons the day before. Why they were learning how to dance was beyond Kairi. And it wasn't exactly her favorite thing to do anyway. She didn't want to touch anybody else. And people would just give her the 'treatment' and nobody would want her to be their partner. Who'd like to dance with a mute girl? She would bore anybody who danced with her to sleep, for she was not like the other girls. She could not talk and strike up an amiable chat. The facts that she was socially inept and verbally incapacitated never ceased to remind her each and every day.

Kairi went into the locker room when the girls were conversing to each other. The instant she stepped in, the room became silent and she could just feel their eyes watching her every move.

Deal with it, she chided to herself mentally. Strange, wasn't it? Every time she spoke in her mind, she could almost hear what she would probably sound like… if she could speak. It was sad too, if she thought about it long enough. Kairi pulled out her short blue gym shorts and black P.E. shirt. As she slipped them on, her best and only friend Yuna walked over to her.

"Hey Kai! How are you doing today?" her friend asked. By the way her bi-colored eyes roamed over her anxiously, Kairi could tell that the news from the locker bay had already traveled around school.

'Sora and his friends played trick on me. It's nothing though,' she replied quickly with a few swift movements of her fingers and wrist.

Yuna frowned. She didn't understand why people treated Kairi so rudely. It wasn't her fault that she became mute after fourth grade. It was an accident. That was what Kairi told her at least. Yuna could just think back to the old days when Kairi could still speak. The two of them would always crack jokes, laugh together, sing together, and tell each other secrets. How such a pretty voice was suddenly taken away from her friend… it just was not fair. She could barely even remember what Kairi used to sound like anymore!

When everyone had left the changing rooms, Leon gave the each of the boys a slip of paper with numbers on them while Yuffie did the same for the girls. After the job was done, Yuffie explained the purpose of the numbers.

"Okay! Today we're here to learn couple dancing. Different styles like ballroom dances, etc," people began to make faces and groan and she held up her hands for silence, "When your partners are chosen, you will be partners for the entire semester whether you like it or not. Now here's how we're doing it!"

Once everybody had settled down again, she continued waving her finger around in the air out of habit, "On each piece of paper that you have, one person of the opposite gender will have the same number. So let's start with our lucky Mr. and Mrs. Numero Uno."

Kairi saw Yuna raise her hand beside her. Curiously, Kairi peered past her best friend to where the boys sat. There, Tidus had his hand in the air too. Kairi saw her friend blush a deep shade of red. Ever since their elementary school days, Kairi remembered Yuna having this giant crush on Sora's buddy. If Kairi remembered correctly, Tidus had given Yuna his play dough when hers had fallen in the dirt outside at recess. It had been the start of her friend's secret crush. A smile graced Kairi's lips towards her friend's pink face. It was nothing to be embarrassed about at all.

This kept on going till number 16 was selected, the last number, Kairi's number.

Oh crap.

The person remaining was the last, the VERY last person she would have liked to be paired with.

Sora.

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A/N: Not the best chapter, I know, I just had this random idea in my head and thought you guys might like it. I'm pretty sure it'll turn out better once it starts heating up! Please enjoy the story, and please review. I want to know what you guys think. :)

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	2. Of Dancing Memories

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Chapter 2

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Author: Kintora

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A/N: Second chapter out. Took long enough! Really sorry folks! On with the chapter!

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If Kairi could scream, she certainly would have. Kairi – with _him, the spawn of Satan_? That was impossible – She couldn't dance with him! But these sessions would count towards her grade and she really didn't want to fail any subject for high school. It would look bad even though it was just PE, right?

She caught Yuna's glance as everyone stood up to head towards their assigned partners. When they departed, Kairi suddenly felt very… alone. Like she was exposed and very prone to everything and anything around her – like the feeling of being unprotected.

Usually she wouldn't feel this way.

But now she did.

It was _Sora_, for _Destiny's butt_!

He would torment her to death!

Kairi made a silent sigh and walked closer to Sora hesitantly, almost unsure of what to do. It was just that morning that he and his friends were scheming the incident with all those textbooks into her locker. Tomorrow, there would probably be spiders waiting for her if she was not careful. What she would really like to know was how they figured out that her lock wasn't working.

She felt Sora look at her with a bored expression and suddenly, she was quite aware about how her gym clothes were old and a bit drab after going through the laundry so many times. Kairi couldn't bring her eyes up to meet his so she just stared at the glossy rubber surface of the floor.

"Are your feet really that interesting to look at?" he asked sarcastically.

Fortunately, Yuffie's shrill voice saved her from further embarrassment, "People – hurry up already! Stop ogling at each other like goldfish and practice those moves we talked about."

During the first half of the class, Leon and Yuffie showed the students the basics to square dancing. Throughout the time, Kairi was mainly aware of Leon's hand on Yuffie's back. She shuddered and thought how wrong it would be with Sora holding her hand. Yuffie and Leon were great people, she assured herself, and they'd never make anyone touch each other beyond hands and shoulders at most.

Once the demonstration was over, Leon turned to the class, "Next, you'll be learning ballroom dancing. And after that, you will learn tango at the end of the year. There will be a contest held between pairs, so I suggest you pay attention."

_Was her brain jinxed or what?_

"Okay, let's make this lesson into a little something, shall we? Begin with the basics as I always say," Yuffie winked at everyone, "Get in position!"

Hesitantly, Sora and Kairi placed their hands in the correct arrangement, but were faking contact like a pair of preschoolers afraid of the cooties. Still, Kairi couldn't help but feel the heat between their hands resonate with each other. It was just so awkward, trying to do a stupid dance with _him_.

Yuffie told them to begin when the music would play. Deep inside, Kairi was feeling uneasiness and embarrassment overwhelm her. She can't dance! Not with him! Closing her eyes, she felt very uncomfortable and glanced around for Yuna.

Apparently, Yuna had been looking at her for a while, checking to make sure her friend hadn't suffered too much yet. Her bi-colored eyes met Kairi's lavender ones. Summoning as much will as she could, Kairi gave Yuna a reassuring smile, fighting the urge to run over to her.

Suddenly, the fast-paced music startled her as the class began to move unsteadily. Her feet shuffled uneasily, as old memories flooded Kairi's mind. She closed her eyes trying to rid of them, but in turn, they only grew more vivid.

"_Daddy, let's dance again!"_

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Kairi snatched her hands away from Sora and stopped abruptly, disrupting the chain of dancing pairs.

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"_What's this dance called, Mommy? Why are the dancers dressed in those long dresses and stuffy jackets? It makes them look like strange."_

"_Don't ballerina's always wear sparkly dresses? Do they really have fairy dust on them?"_

"_I wish I could be a dancer. Everyone would like me!"_

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Kairi finally broke away from the dance and raced back to the locker rooms. She could feel the eyes of her classmates looking curiously after her, especially Sora's, but it didn't matter once she slammed the door closed and had the room to herself. Nothing mattered anymore.

Her parents were never coming back. They were gone. Just gone. Away to the place where angels lived and sang their beautiful songs, where the sun never stopped shining, far and high, happy and light on the floating wings of clouds.

What about her? She was stuck on this place. This place described as reality. This place could rival hell in its twisted horrible ways. Joy didn't exist in her life anymore. It was gone when her parents left, and her love for this world; had gone with them.

The door burst open to reveal Yuna and Yuffie. Their faces were etched with worry when they found Kairi curled into a protective ball in the farthest corner.

"Kairi?"

"Kai, you okay?"

Their voices didn't even register in her mind clearly. She had become as blank as a white page and twice as pale.

"Maybe she's sick? We should ask the nurses to call her guardians and take her home…" Yuffie suggested but Kairi's head snapped up and she shook it quickly.

Yuna looked at her friend questioningly. Sometimes she couldn't understand Kairi very well with her mixed signals. She had stopped visiting Kairi's household since the "accident" when Kairi had given a clear confirmation of 'No, don't visit. She was taken back at first, but learned to respect her friend's secrets, whatever they were.

But now, it was in the attention of a teacher. Well, a student teacher, but it was still quite important.

"Kairi, why?" Yuna asked cautiously.

Kairi's shaking hands fumbled for a response, 'They will… be very worried,' pointing to herself, Kairi motioned, 'I'm all right, I promise.'

Yuffie looked at Yuna for help, but even Yuna was at lost for words before finally asking timidly, "Kai, are you sure?"

'Yes. I just don't like going home.'

"What do you mean?"

Kairi shook her head, 'Not now.'

For a moment, Yuna didn't understand but Kairi signaled, 'I'll write it down – when nobody else is around.'

The tawny-haired girl caught the gist, "She said she'll be fine."

Yuffie nodded half-heartedly, "I'll let you two off for the rest of class." She faced Kairi, "I hope you feel better!" The mute girl nodded and grinned weakly.

Once the doors had closed, Yuna sat down beside Kairi, "Okay you," Yuna stared worriedly at Kairi, "Want to tell me just what's going on?"

The redhead looked away and pulled out a pen and paper from her gym locker. Soon, she began to write vivaciously on the line paper. Glancing at the clock nearby, Yuna found the time to be fifteen minutes till the period was over and decided to change out of her gym uniform while Kairi wrote.

Five minutes ticked by and Yuna took her friend's frantic scribbles into hand. In such a short time, Kairi had written two whole pages front and back. As Yuna's two different colored eyes skimmed the words, Kairi had already redressed and began packing her things up for the next class.

The more Yuna read, the more her eyes showed more and more understanding until the very last word when her eyes looked up, knowing what the next few lines would state.

"What's this about your foster parents? Are they –!"

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A/N: Yes! Second chapter done! I'm so sorry that my updating times are very far in between, but I'm so busy it's NOT funny! I'll try to update as much as I can though. If you've read my bio, you'd probably have a good idea on how fast I need to work on a daily basis. Hope ya liked it, later!

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	3. Through the Ringer

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Chapter 3

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Author: Kintora

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A/N: Hi! I'm sorry that my updates are sort of few and far in between, but I'm trying to update as much as possible for you guys! Please be patient! You guys are busy and so am I! ;) At least I've finally been able to throw chapter 3 in and I want you guys to make the best of it!

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Yuna was cut off as the locker room door was banged open and a flock of high school girls crowded in, giggly, laughing, and gossiping about all sorts of nonsense – like normal girls their ages would do. Kairi and Yuna felt like outcasts in the bubbly atmosphere as they tried to ignore the loud banter.

Kairi glanced at her friend and the two of them left the packed locker room. Yuffie met them outside and began some conversation with them, "So where are you two going next?"

"It's Calculus for me and Physics for Kai," Yuna grinned. Kairi smiled and tapped Yuna on the shoulder.

'Hey, what's up with them,' Kairi thought for a moment and spelled out Leon's and Yuffie's names out, 'Anything going on in between?'

Yuna tried not to gap at what Kairi said as Yuffie looked at her questioningly. Kairi shook her head, a soft smile playing on her lips, 'Are they going out?'

The tawny-haired laughed good-heartedly, "Kairi, are just trying to be silly?"

The redhead shook her head and motioned, 'Not really. I'm just curious.'

Yuna grinned as she turned back to a patient Yuffie, "Is there was anything going on between you and Mr. Leon?"

Yuffie blushed furiously and tried to wave it off, "Now, now girls, of course not! We just work together." Yuna and Kairi gave her doubtful looks and Yuffie huffed, "Alright, alright! Uh… since you're all my friends," the dark-haired girl looked around, "I would like to date him. But I think he's already going out with some girl called Rinoa. But don't you dare tell anyone!" she threatened back.

"That's so sweet!" Yuna gushed excitedly. The bell rang and the three bid each other good-bye. Yuna and Kairi headed to their respective classes while Yuffie jogged off to prepare for the next lesson. She passed Leon on the way and turned pink once again when he caught her eye as she walked by.

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Kairi smiled as she stepped into the science lab. The room wasn't really filled at all with the exceptions of one or two early students. She chose her seat wisely near the front and set her things to the side.

Slowly, the rest of the class filed inside with a stream of noisy chatter in their wake. Miss Gainsborough closed the door behind her once she noted that all her pupils had arrived and were accounted for. She walked to the front of the class and waited for her students to settle down as she flicked a piece of lint off her sunny pink dress.

She caught Kairi's eye with her gentle viridian eyes and gave the girl a big green wink.

"Class?"

The students immediately fell silent as their pretty brunette teacher began the period's lesson. Miss Gainsborough lectured about the quantum theories and wrote on the white board for everyone to follow. Kairi took detailed notes on what her teacher was saying and even added a few personal quotes to help her study for the huge test the following week.

"Okay everyone, you all know that the grade you'll be getting on the test will be more than half of you total average. If you fail that, I'm afraid you'll be failing my class. If you have any questions or you just simply want to study with me, you know I'd be willing to help you in the Library during lunch every day. Now, you'll be dismissed in a matter of a few seconds –"

The buzzer rang, "Speak of the devil. Have a good day everyone!"

Kairi picked up her belongings from the table and was about to leave until her science teacher stopped her, "Kairi? You going to be okay?"

'Yes. I will see you at the library,' she motioned.

Aerith, being the few in the school who understood sign language smiled, "I knew you'd come. Well, I will be expecting you soon then." Kairi nodded and hurried out the room.

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Yuna was already waiting at Kairi's locker when the redhead finally reached it.

"What took you so long?"

'I was talking with the teacher… about the study sessions at lunch.'

Yuna nodded, "Yeah, I heard about that too. I'm going to go, you?"

'Same here.' Kairi answered.

The two friends walked through the brightly lit maze of hallways in their school, down the granite staircase and through the glass double doors of the library. Aerith waved them over to a study table where she had piles of books stacked and her own lunch and tea sitting beside her.

"Hey girls! Seems you two are the only serious ones about this test I'm throwing. Just wait till everyone gets the problems. They will realize that coming to me for some help could do the trick," Aerith said earnestly.

'Glad to be here.' Kairi signaled.

Yuna grinned, "So what are the questions going to be like?"

For the rest of the time, they studied and reviewed. Once lunchtime was over, all of them felt very confident for the test. They promised to meet each other again the next day.

Nothing much happened for the remainder of Kairi's day and she was grateful for that. However, who knew much about tomorrow?

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Kairi had certainly started off with a bad morning. Her foster parents… She pushed that thought out of her and absent mindedly made sure that her long-sleeved turtleneck covered her skin completely, despite the warm late-spring weather.

She walked quietly into Miss Tifa's class and waited anxiously for the period to be over. She simply had a bad feeling.

But her attention returned to the teacher as she spoke loud and clearly for everyone to hear. Hearing Miss Tifa's singsong voice and the rippling cadence it held made Kairi long for a voice even more than before.

"Settle down class! I have your introduction compositions graded and ready to be handed back. Most of you did a splendid job and others may need to catch up on your writing skills. But first, I'd like to read a portion from a selected essay I chose while grading.

'_Life has not always been so unfair to me. I started off living a carefree childhood like most people around me. Everything felt like a blissful dream.'_

Kairi looked up surprised. That was _her_ essay being read to the class. Kairi gapped at her teacher and flushed embarrassingly.

'_Suddenly, that was all ripped away in a single accident. The things that I cherished were taken away from me all at once that one, fateful day. At first, I thought Destiny was punishing me for being weak. I cried and begged everyday for a chance to fix my past. When I realized that time would never run backwards, I learned to put faith in my feet as I walked on. But the path between light and dark often crossed, graying my vision. Those crossroads were the paths I tripped and fell on. But since that journey started, my words did not have to come from my mouth, but from my heart._

_I found meaning again by drawing and painting things, writing and reading things – finding hope in things I believed in. But the most important thing that I have learned on this journey is that I do have a voice, even when I am virtually voiceless. Now I know how to walk those dark roads, even when I am scared and cannot call out. Now I know how to find those light roads, even though life has blinded my sight. And those gray crossroads I mentioned? They do not bother me anymore, because I know how to get up and find my way again. _

_The truth is, I am not the invalid that people think I am._

_Life may be cruel and unfair to me right now. However, life gave me a piece of understanding. You never know when something you took for granted will be stripped away from you. You will never know if you will ever get it back. We all have lost things along the way, so that makes me just like everyone else. _

_My journey is not made of far-off memories and scattered dreams. Through my pain, I have gained a stronger, inner voice. I find encouragement in myself, and that makes my words my inspirations in this life.'_

The class looked around the room and Kairi could feel many eyes looking at her. She could've sworn her face was as crimson as her hair… But Miss Tifa merely smiled kindly at her students and passed out the rest of the graded essays.

It was right after Miss Tifa's class when it all happened.

It happened all too fast.

Kairi had stopped by her locker once more to grab a few things before her next class. She twisted the lock a few times before bringing an elbow against it when it remained jammed. She swung it open easily once the broken lock gave away.

Flutters of paper made various flapping noises as they fell to her feet. That had never happened before. She had always been very particular when it came to tidiness.

The redhead girl looked at her locker, dazed at the sight that greeted her. A cold finger felt like it was gliding up and down her spine, raising the goose bumps all over her body, and freezing her heart. All her of things were torn and scrapped.

Her essay fluttered from her hand to the ground like a wounded bird.

_**Nothing was left**_

Her book bag was strewn open and its contents were either broken or messed up beyond what she could repair. Her brown bag lunch was shredded apart, and her food and bottled water were splattered into wet dilapidated slops all over the remains of her papers and books.

But even her personal things were in pieces. Sketches, story notebooks, and…and…_everything_. There was just nothing left.

At that moment when realization dawned on her, a dead weight fell onto her shoulders and threatened to shatter all her of bones down to the soles of her feet. Her dreams, her words, her life…everything her essay had just preached about, were _gone_.

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Sora and his friends hung around, waiting to see the look on Kairi's face when she opened her locker. And for once, he felt a deep guilt biting at his innards. He admitted that he liked to see her cry once in while. Mainly, he had only preyed on her anger, not her pain. But this time, he did not know what to make of those silent tears, trailing from the corners of her empty eyes and leaking in endless streams down her pale face. He did not know how he would forgive himself this time for causing her mouth to tremble so as it caught the tears between her lips. He had only expected her to fly into a rage as he would enjoy the show.

But this was not entertaining. Not even to him.

Kairi sank to the ground and dropped everything she was holding with a clatter. Her hands went to her hot blotchy face while her heart ached and ached inside her. As she rocked, trying to cradle her hurting heart inside her, she did not believe the pain she felt was nearly as painful as any physical pain she had ever endured before.

The pain was so much worse. Her body could recover from broken bones and black bruises. But an emotional heart-pain could last for many, many years to come. She already came to terms that her pain regarding her past and current family would never leave her until the day she died.

But why did this have to happen to her too? Was Destiny that angry with her?

What had she done to deserve this?

No family and no life…

…_Nothing was left for her any longer._

"It's not much to cry about." She could hear the slightly frightened voice of Rikku, "We only tore up some paper."

Not much to cry about? Just paper? Oh no.

No, no, no, no, _no_.

Nothing was as simple as that. The destruction meant that everything about her was meaningless.

_Why…_Kairi thought, _why do people think I am meaningless?_

"Hey? You can hear, right? It's just a bunch of crap. You can fix it all later," Sora said uncertainly. The murmurs of yeses and yeahs were muttered throughout the surrounding audience. But Kairi just felt like a freak on display under the glaring fluorescent lights and the curious stares of her peers, as she sat among a destroyed heap of her personal things. A few remaining bits of her lunch fell onto her lap from the locker door. The soggy pieces of bread slid down her thigh in a trail of wet goop as Kairi stared at it in dull fascination.

Suddenly, Kairi looked up as if she had just woken up again. Her legs felt like lead as she stood slowly, facing Sora. Her normally limpid brown look had sharpened into extraneous livid eyes that burned violet, and did not seem to belong to her. The shades of wine red and electric blue were blended perfectly in her eyes as she sent a hair-raising look to all of her tormentors. They seemed to flinch when her cutting glare pierced their eyes.

Acidic fury gnawed holes in her stomach as her lips trembled. She mouthed, snarling as if she were actually yelling at the top of her lungs, 'You _son of a __**BITCH**_.'

The locker bay remained silent, but everybody _heard_ her, even the impassive Sora.

New batches of burning tears cascaded down her face as her fist flew out and viscously struck Sora with a face-snapping force. The unprepared boy stumbled, tenderly touching his stinging flesh as it began to swell rapidly and purple where Kairi's white knuckles had nailed him right under the eye. The people surrounding them gasped and backed up, preparing to watch a fight.

It was the first time Kairi ever towered over anybody, much less Sora. She glowered down at him with unshed tears shining in her pain-polished eyes. Biting her lip, she jerked her chin up and shoved two boys out of her way as she stormed past the ring of bystanders. She did not even spare any of them a second glance.

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Yuna was in gym class waiting for Kairi to appear, but when her best friend didn't show up, she began to get extremely worried. She was already dressed in her appropriate uniform and walked out of the locker room to Yuffie who was sitting on a metal fold-up chair, poring over some papers.

"Yuffie? Have you seen Kairi?" Yuna asked.

Yuffie looked up and shook her head, "Well, no. I would have seen her coming in…"

"It's okay. I was just wondering."

Yuffie smiled at the younger girl reassuringly before returning to her work.

When class had started and the students were practicing with their partners, Yuna decided to ask Tidus.

She began shyly, "Hey…"

The handsome blonde jock could not seem to look straight into her different colored eyes, "Yeah?"

Yuna became immediately suspicious, but she mellowed her tone, "I haven't seen Kairi today and… I don't mean to accuse you, but you wouldn't know if your friend Sora had anything to do with this… would you?"

To her half-surprise, Tidus' bright cerulean eyes looked away from her, "Well, I do actually."

"Wh-what happened? Is she okay?" Yuna pressed worriedly, "Please Tidus, you have to tell me… I've known her for so long and I don't want to lose her! I'm sure you would do the same for your friends."

Tidus made the mistake of looking into her blue and green eyes and immediately found that he could not lie to her, "We trashed her locker and her things… " Yuna's eyes widened in shock, so he quickly tried to placate her fears, "But I'm sure she'll be okay, Yuna."

"No she won't! You guys don't understand her at all. She… told me something and – and, Yevon! I don't know what she will do now," Yuna let go of his hands and stopped moving to the music as she ran a hand nervously down her arm. She turned away, leaving the circle of dancers. Tidus jogged after her, catching her arm.

"I'm really sorry," and Tidus did sound very sorry.

But that did not phase Yuna as she shook her head angrily, "You shouldn't apologize to me. I wasn't the one who you destroyed. I don't know what you guys have against her, but that doesn't give you the right to hurt her any more than she was before."

Tidus looked at her as they ignored the curious stares, "What do you mean?"

The tawny-haired girl looked thoughtful for a second before answering, "You've probably, but she wasn't always mute. It happened after fourth grade, you know? And she wasn't always… Never mind."

"You can tell me. I promise I won't tell," Tidus swore, as he encouraged her.

Yuna sighed. It was becoming much too difficult for her to keep bearing secrets. She knew it she would reach her limit one day, yet it was not in her place to talk about Kairi's problems. But she needed someone else to support her for a change, "If you ever let this out, I'll never let you live it down."

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A/N: Chapter 3 accomplished! Wait till chapter 4! I promise you guys a touching scene (or what I hope will be touching…)

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	4. Missing Far Off Memories

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Chapter 4

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Author: Kintora

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A/N: Wow guys! Thanks a bunch for the reviews! I'll leave the comments at the bottom for you to look at after reading, k? Thanks again!

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It was lunchtime and Yuna was waiting for Kairi at the Library with Aerith. Yuna tapped her pencil against the surface of the study table. Her textbooks and papers were strewn before her and Aerith sat there organizing her own papers.

"Yuna… do you think Kairi's coming?"

Yuna shook her head, "I'm not sure."

Aerith looked up at the younger girl, "What do you mean? What happened?"

"I… don't know the details. I just know that when I went to find her, it was like she disappeared. I haven't even seen her in Phys. Ed. class! It's not like her to skip," Yuna sighed worriedly, "What do you think we should do?"

Aerith opened her teacher's text book, "Coming from an adult's perspective, I would try to talk her into going back to class. But from a more natural point, I'd give her some time and asking about the problem when she's feeling better. To tell you the truth, I think somebody was being mean to her. It's not easy being mute, but she's been very brave so far. Knowing her, I think she'll manage."

Yuna could only nod in agreement before they decided to start the study session without Kairi.

………

"What 'cha got there, Sora?" Rikku asked. She chewed her food and stared inquiringly at the boy next to her.

Riku looked up from his sandwich to see his spiky-haired friend reading some sort of paper. Wakka reached over and tried to snatch the sheet from Sora's hands. But Sora moved it swiftly away from his reach.

"Aw, man, buddy. What's up, ya?"

"Hey, come on! You can tell us. What is it?" Selphie asked. She tossed her empty water bottle into a nearby trashcan then propped her elbow on the table and placed her chin on her palm, "Well?"

Sora shook his head and stuffed what he was reading inside a pocket, "It's nothing important, guys."

Rikku quirked an eyebrow, "Really? Then it wouldn't be so important that you couldn't share it with us." She nudged his arm, "Is it from a girl? You know you have tons of them drooling all over you! What's so special about this one?"

"Rikku, really, it's nothing."

For a moment, they were all silent as the rest of room's mixed conversations continued. Riku put the rest of his lunch away and folded his arms, "You're horrible at lying, Sora."

No one had noticed that Tidus hadn't said anything for the past few minutes. But the blonde glanced at his friend before standing up, "I have to go somewhere. See you guys later!" He dumped his trash out and left the cafeteria.

Everyone watched him leave. Something was definitely up.

"Little brudda seems a bit hasty, ya?" Wakka stated.

Just then the lunch bell rung and they all pushed away from the table and moved through the crowd to prepare for their next class.

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Kairi was sitting on a bench outside in the lush green courtyard. She fingered the Thalassa shell necklace she had in her hands. The smooth white surface rolled about in her fingers as she continued to fiddle with it. She could still remember how she got it…

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"_Happy birthday, Kairi!" her mother brought out the birthday cake. It took the entire day to bake, the aroma of baking batter lofting throughout the small house. Once it left the oven in its entire crisp, golden glory, her mother had worked at icing the masterpiece, dotting the gumdrops, and placing the candles. She hadn't been allowed to look at it, but Kairi had taken the liberty to peek at her cake in the making anyway. _

_It turned out to be quite a mouth-watering sight. The pastry was completely coated with her favorite strawberry frosting. Six brightly lit candles glowed in the dimmed room and fresh cut fruit were placed decoratively on the cake, looking like jewels as the light glanced off the juicy surfaces._

_After the celebration was over and everyone had left, her mom pulled out a small square box, "Kairi? You know how you love sea shells?"_

"_Uh huh!" the little girl giggled._

"_I picked this out for you. Do you like it?"_

_Kairi opened the box as carefully as she could and stared at the nicely polished shell pendant in awe. It was plain, but it was beautiful at the same time! "Thanks, Mom! It's pretty, I like a it lots."_

_The woman smiled, her bright indigo eyes sparkling, "I'm glad you do, honey. Keep it safe and remember that I'll be with you forever. Even when someday you can't see me anymore, I'll always be there for you."_

"_But I can see you now," Kairi grinned cheekily, "I'll still always be able to see you, Mom. Just like I can see Dad too!"_

"_Maybe, Sweetie… Maybe."_

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'Mom…Dad.' Kairi mouthed silently.

Her mother's voice echoed eerily in her ears, _"…Even when someday you can't see me anymore, I'll always be there for you…"_ Goosebumps grew on her skin as she shivered involuntarily, even though the sun warm on her sweater-clad back.

In the distance, the school's dismissal bell chimed, but she didn't care. She just sat there on the bench in the large courtyard as students exited the high school. The chirpy sounds of their conversations seemed so far away. She was so lost in her mind that she barely registered any of it. And yet those voices made her envy whoever could make them. Would she ever speak again? Maybe? Maybe not.

Maybe. There's that word again. Maybe.

Maybe what? Maybe she should go jump off a cliff and end her life? Maybe she should run into the middle of a highway and get crushed for not moving out of the way? Maybe she should drown herself in the sea! To get as far as possible… away from this place, away from living, away from every single person that resided with her in this twisted reality.

Why hadn't the crash taken her life as well so she could go to heaven with her parents? Why did her mother have to protect her with her life at that last second? If her mother had not turned around, if her mother had moved out of the way – Kairi could have died with them.

She could remember those blaring lights in her eyes and the noises and sounds of the hospital pounding against her eardrums. She could hear the constant beeping of her own heart from the heart monitor and remember her body being pushed against the buckles that held her fast to the discolored stretcher as the people carried her into the emergency room. Someone dressed in complete white had given her a drug and made her go to sleep.

In her sleep, she could remember seeing a sky with bright cream clouds swirling up to the endless blue and the sunlight streaming down onto her face. It was so peaceful… so beautiful. She had wanted to stay there forever and be happy. She saw winged beings shaking their heads sadly at her and murmuring words. Then she was falling and falling further away into a dark abyss, all alone. And the faint beeping of her heart… The heart monitor beeping again and again…

And the doctor… The doctor had told her that her heart had stopped, but started beating again. He said it was a miracle. Stupid heart, stupid doctor… Stupid miracle… She was damned, and she knew it the instant she found out that she had woken up alone and parentless.

Kairi shook her head. No. _No!_ She was thinking too much! Her memories were going to overwhelm her again.

She could remember the day she met her "new parents"…And the first year of living with them.

The pendant fell from Kairi's fingers as she buried her face in her hands and cried silently. The old sounds of her screaming and begging rung loudly in her ears…

Kairi.

Kairi?

_Kairi!_

Somebody's hand was shaking her shoulder, jolting her from her morbid thoughts as the sharp aching pain in her flesh and bone made her slap the hand away. She stood up quickly. Wincing, she sucked in a breath to cool her nerves.

What just happened?

"I've been calling you for a while but you didn't respond."

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A/N: Congrats! You've finished reading chapter 4! On with the promised comments, shall we?

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brianna()- Lol. Thanks for your review! I'm glad to hear that you think it's great!

purehikari()- Yay! Chapter 4 see? I'll try to update ASAP, but I'm as busy as anyone else who's vivacious with their duties first!

Lonely Cowboy - Thanks a bunch for your review! I'm sorry for making Kairi quite depressed and all but it is drama and a tad bit of angst (though they don't have secondary genre). And I'm also sorry about making Yuna go "blabbing" about Kairi. This fic also has other minor pairings and Tidus/Yuna is one of them. Yuna's kinda stressed too, you know? And if Tidus cares enough for her, he'd understand. But you'll see in the near future!

cookie()- Well, this is gonna be a "varying-pairs fic" with on major couple (SK). And as for Leon in his PE clothes……………o.O He's decent.

KingdomHearts309 – AHHHH!!! ducks away Gomenasai!!!!! But I'm awfully busy!!!! I'm trying though and I appreciate your enthusiasm for my story. ; Lol.

MoonFlow-Kairi – Aww, thanks for adding it to your favs. I'm glad you like this fic!

Natsu-Aoki – Thanks for your review!!!! I'll try to update soon too.

Juzlovnsora – Thanks for your review and don't worry! Your questions will (if not already) be answered as the story progresses! Oh, don't be mad at Sora! Interesting situation you have at school. 0 Watch your back though, that girl might turn around and do something mean to you when jealousy gets the best of her.

Akiramage – Lol. Yeah, Yuna said Yevon. 0 Well, Kairi's depressed. But You'll see what'll come. I promise I won't stop this ficcie just cuz of a deprssion period, k? ()!!!

Kuramie and Kaiaramith – Great! I'm glad you like my story! I'll try to update when I get a chance, k?

Zelda-is-me – Hey! Thanks! I'm glad that this story's going along pretty, well! I think I'll be able to update sooner or later! Thanks again!

J-Kwon – Hey! Thanks for the review! I'm glad you like it!

MELODY SONG 922 – Much thankies for your review! I'll try to update soon!!!

Terri() – I'm sorry for making Sora look so mean! Don't be mad at him, really! Don't worry, I'll try to update when I can.

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	5. The Way Things Are

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Chapter 5

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Author: Kintora

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A/N: Hey everyone! That's right; Chapter 5 is finally up! Please don't take any of my ideas from this story. I spend a lot of time contemplating on how it should work out. And if you manage to "copy" and I find out, I'll be very angry. But for now, just enjoy!

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Kairi was surprised to find Sora standing before her. Quickly, she rubbed away the tears from her cheeks and avoided his eyes.

Sora coughed uncomfortable in their silence, "Well, look. I'm sorry… for wrecking your things and, um, you dropped this."

Kairi took the slightly rumpled paper from him and looked at it. She recognized it easily and smiled softly. She could tell it had been read over and over from the repeatedly creased lines. When Kairi looked up again, her eyes met his and two shades of blue met each other, but this time, they didn't clash in fury.

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Tidus trekked up the school stairs after the bell had rung. He had promised Yuna earlier that he'd meet her up there so they could talk. He sighed. If Sora or any of the others knew that he'd been hanging around Yuna, his pride and reputation would tarnish. That's what he was worried about, yet at the same time, he wanted to take the risk.

But her words genuinely interested him. Who would have thought that the mute girl, Kairi, had such a family.

Reaching the top, he turned left and opened the door quietly to room 602. Inside, Yuna had her arms elbow deep in clay. She was making pottery for a coming fair. There would be art conventions, rides, plays, games, etc. which was hosted by their school.

"Hey Yuna."

The girl turned around and smiled at him, "Hey."

"Do you need help?" Tidus asked. Wait, why the heck was he asking to help _her_?

Yuna nodded, "Sure, if you're willing. You can grab an apron or smock in that closet," she nodded with her head in the general direction to her side, "I'm just making some decorative pots and vases for the school to display, you know?"

Tidus walked over to the blue closet to retrieve something to protect his clothing from the muck he'd be dealing with. That was precisely why he hated art. And those weird smocks and junk weren't his style, but they'd do temporarily if he didn't want any stains on his muscle shirt.

Sitting on an art stool across from Yuna, he grimaced as his hands touched the cool mush of clay before him. Soon, Yuna instructed him on what to do and had the wet material spinning and being molded by Tidus, who was having much trouble on trying to make the clay distinguishable as a forming vase than a wad of dung.

When he told Yuna this, she simply laughed and smiled saying that he was doing pretty well for someone who had no interest in art as a hobby.

There was a period of silence for a few minutes before Yuna spoke again, "I'm really glad that I have someone to help me prepare for this event. It's been so stressful lately."

Tidus looked up from trying to fix his pot into looking more symmetrical, "Stressful? I thought this sort of stuff was relaxing since you're obsessed with art like your friend."

Yuna's tone held a bit of hurt and made Tidus instantly wish he had reworded his sentence more carefully, "Yes, Kairi does love writing and art just as much as I do. Maybe more as the way she is now. Don't you and your own friends see? We have social lives to struggle with as well! It's not like we asked people to hate us."

"Hey, I'm sorry. I'll leave if you feel a little off around me. Don't worry cause I feel the same around you too." Aw, damn, why'd he have to be such a jerk and say that? Tidus berated inwardly at himself for putting his foot so far up into his mouth.

But Yuna just ignored the last part, "Never mind. Please stay with me a little longer?" she couldn't do much to hide the despair in her voice, "I… really need someone to talk to right now. I'm real stressed because, well, I can't really tell anyone anything. I've got younger siblings to keep in line all the time, and I don't really have a chance to talk to my parents about my school life. I don't have any friends that I'm able to talk to except for Kairi. But I don't feel right talking to her about some things like what I've learned from her these past few days. I don't want her to feel even worse than she already does and –" Yuna began to cry as she couldn't go on any longer.

Tidus was shocked, but overcame it quickly. He switched off the power on the potter's wheel and washed his hands quickly wiping them on his smock before returning to Yuna.

"You've got to calm down, Yuna. Come on, let's wash your hands and then we can talk." He walked her over to the metal tub sinks and helped her run her caked arms through with soap and water.

When they sat back down again, Yuna was reduced to quiet sniffs as Tidus waited for her to begin. When she was ready she continued, "I don't know what to think anymore, really. I can't help but feel that it's Kairi's fault for not being able to talk and all. I know it's not really _she_ that's the problem, but it's the problems at hand. Like I wish I had more friends, but since my only friend's mute, everyone seems to avoid me as well. Kairi's been my best friend since we were little girls. She stuck with me even through thick and thin, despite all of her own problems – and I can't just abandon her. She'd have absolutely no friends while I'd be free for not having her as a burden anymore. But that's selfish and sick to even think like that, and I'd never let myself live it down if I just leave her alone. She's got a much more heavier load than what I have."

Through all her talking Tidus couldn't help but feel a twang of mixed emotions; guilt for picking on them since middle school with Sora and everyone, and a lot of something he didn't usually give. Sympathy, or was it pity? He didn't think so. Maybe his pity had turned in sympathy as he struggled to understand her.

By now, Yuna looked like limpid flower, sitting on her previous art stool, her cream-colored arms wrapped securely around herself. It was almost like she was protecting herself from an enemy Tidus couldn't see. He was probably only able to catch a glimpse of it after he heard Yuna's long speech of her troubles though.

Finally, the blitz player took his turn to speak, "You know, I think I can finally understand," he blushed, "And I'm hating myself now. I want to help you, believe it or not. If there is a way out of this, I can try. I really would. Even so, I'm a lot like you too. I've got my obstacles too."

Yuna looked up at him with her tear-stained face, "But your life seems so perfect. You're not hated like Kairi or me."

Tidus disagreed, "Maybe I'm not _hated_, but at least you're brave enough to ignore what other people think about you. Sometimes I would rather forget about being cool if that meant I could do everything I want to do. Blitzball isn't my whole life. I'm good at it, but I don't love it as much as I love my freedom. That's a concept that won't fly with my old man though. He wants me to go pro, like him," he scratched his head, "I don't think that I'm even half as cocky on the inside than I usually act like in front of people. And I can't believe I'm telling you all this when I haven't even told my friends."

He took a deep breath, "I don't like to state things this way – but my friends and I have to keep the status quo in school, you know? My dad believes that Sora, Riku, and Wakka are key in making me a better blitz player. What if I royally piss off one of them, and my dad catches wind that I've dumped my buddies?"

Yuna nodded, "I understand that you feel trapped. And I appreciate you even helping me the way you are by just being here," she wiped any remaining moisture from her eyes and face before smiling at him, "Sometimes, help comes in the smallest packages. Presents don't have to be big and flattering to be great, right? Just knowing that someone else out there actually cares enough to listen can boost the word to a higher level."

Tidus flashed her a grin, making her heart skip a beat for just a split moment before he spoke again, "I know, but I wish I could have everyone else lend a hand. But my own friends are true friends to me at least. They'd help me through my personal problems any day anywhere, though I can't really predict what they'd do if I tried to help you. I'm pretty sure you know that they're not exactly on like-terms with you and Kairi. It's been like that since forever."

Yuna smiled, "Of course. But don't you think this is sort of a like a Romeo and Juliet situation? I just hope the end won't be so tragic."

Tidus almost tripped, but Yuna didn't seem to notice as she sighed, "Things should be kept as a secret for now. Still, I don't want to judge your friends for you, Tidus. But if they truly are the way you speak of them as, they'd listen to you and understand."

"Yeah, I guess."

They cleaned up the art equipment together and wrapped up the damp pottery in paper towels in a giant plastic bag and put them away on a shelf.

Yuna was sweeping up the dried extra remains of clay pieces on the ground as Tidus grabbed his bag and hung his shoulder. He called over to her, "Hey Yuna! I have to get going or else my old man's gonna call the police thinking I've gotten into a fight or something."

Yuna paused and grinned at him, "All right, but I find that hard to believe."

He gave her a questioning look, "Huh?"

She shook her head and continued her cleaning, "Because I think you're a good person."

"Oh really?" he teased, "Prove it."

Yuna stopped and face him, put her hands on her hips and cocked her head, "Well, if today's prep talk isn't enough proof, then I'll have you remember the little boy back in kindergarten who gave me his play dough, just because I ruined mine in the mulch."

Tidus furrowed his eyebrows as he thought, but the amused look on his face showed that he remembered, "That can't have been me. I was the boy who liked to pull your pig tails."

"Yes, you were," Yuna agreed, tossing him a refreshed smile, "But I tend to remember good deeds over bad ones."

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Kairi fiddled with the stiff paper and looked away, hiding her blush. Sora dropped his gaze and his fingers clenched lightly under the immense silence. God, he didn't know what to say. But he knew that if he didn't, Kairi wouldn't ever be able to break the silence.

He nervously adjusted his backpack on his right shoulder and looked around, making sure that no one was there to spot him with Kairi on school grounds. However, he caught the girl making strange movements with her hands and realized that it was sign language. After all these years, he knew that she understood him, but he never knew a thing about sign language.

She stopped when she realized he couldn't understand that she had signaled a simple thanks to him. Smiling sadly, she decided to try a different way. Using her hands, she mimicked the actions of someone writing on paper.

Sora caught the gist and grinned faintly, "Here." He set down his bag and pulled out a paper and pencil.

The redhead smiled and jotted down a few words and handed the paper back to Sora. By now, he had grown tired of standing and sat down beside her when he knew that no one else was there to observe them.

Her neat writing spelled out: Thanks for giving my essay back.

"It was nothing."

Kairi wrote back surprising him at how fast and neatly she could write in little bit of time: Yes, it was something. But I don't expect you to believe so if you really can't. And could you write instead of speak? I'm just not really comfortable writing alone like this. It reminds me too much of my disability than sign language does.

Sora opened his mouth to say something, but paused remembering her words and shut it reluctantly. He scribbled something down: Fine. This better?

Kairi rolled her eyes. Even in his writing, he could sound just as sarcastic.

The continued scribbling and writing to each other. The first part of the conversation turned out to be rather interesting.

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Kairi: Much better, may I add.

Sora: So you do have some spunk in you.

Kairi: No shit, Sherlock.

Sora: You have quite a mouth to go along with as well.

Kairi: I can't use it for speech, smart guy!

Sora: No duh. That's what makes you a little weirdo.

Kairi: Old bag of crap. You're insulting.

Sora: And you aren't?

Kairi: I can be nice… Unlike you.

Sora: You shouldn't judge people before you get to know them.

Kairi: Speak for yourself! It seems that you thought I was a mere push over after all those times when in fact, I was yelling obscenities at you in my head!

Sora: Yelling in your head doesn't do much for you, does it?

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Kairi crossed her arms and sank against the back of the bench, frowning. The wind tousled her bright scarlet locks. Obviously, she was tired of his words. Not only were they smartly written, but they also brought the harsh and cruel reality back to her. She could only yell in her head when she was angry, never really able to scream herself hoarse like others.

It wasn't that she wanted to scream herself hoarse, but she wanted to be with and alike everyone else. Not apart and different. Every time she thought about herself as being so different, it frightened her to no end and it scared other people as well. Who'd want to hang out with someone so awkward, so strange? Who'd want to hang out with a little mute girl? Yuna did. But she knew why Yuna wouldn't leave her. Yuna had been her best friend since kindergarten. Friendship was what tied the two together.

But was being the best of friends for so long, the only reason they were friends? Was that really the only reason Yuna and her stuck with each other like sisters because of just that? What if they hadn't been friends for that long? Say for only two years. Would her only friend abandon her then?

"Yo."

Kairi snapped out of her state, but remained just as silent.

"Come on, I said I was sorry."

…He did?

Sora shook his head, "Can you at least do something so I know that you're actually alive in there?" Before he knew it, Kairi's palm had created a resounding smack against the swelling side of his face. "OW! WHAT THE HELL!"

His angry blue eyes that resembled the skies of a hurricane but the look didn't last long as he stared back at Kairi's grinning face. He couldn't help but lower his frustrated voice to a softer tone, "Why the heck did you go and do that for?"

Kairi began to write and they resumed exchanging words on paper once more.

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Kairi: Sorry about that. I couldn't resist the temptation. After all, you DID say to do something.

Sora: I didn't mean that you had to slap me to get the point across!

Kairi: It was fun while it lasted. You've gotta admit that at least!

Sora: Yeah right! I'm gonna have this bright red mark till tomorrow! Maybe even into two or three days! And it hurts like hell right now!

Kairi: No way. It wasn't that hard. At least not as hard as the other one I gave you.

Sora: Now that I come to think of it, that was twice in the same place.

Kairi: Aww, is Mister Sora hurting that badly?

Sora: And if I say yes?

Kairi: You're weak.

Sora: Am not!

Kairi: Is too! You can't even handle a girl's slap without actually complaining!!!

Sora: Why don't you try getting slapped by another girl?

Kairi: Then you try getting beaten up by a man once almost everyday for almost six years and counting.

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Kairi froze after giving him the piece of paper, and immediately tried to grab it back from him. But Sora used his quick reflexes to dodge her, knowing full well that she had written something that she didn't want him to see. But he wasn't prepared for what exactly was written on that simple loose leaf of paper.

After he read it, Kairi was quaking with fear. No, it was more than just plain fear. She was feeling so much more than just completely terrified. It was horrible, beyond any word of horror. He turned around quickly and stared her straight in the eyes, "What's that supposed to mean, Kairi?"

The girl stood stiff as stone. She couldn't move, she couldn't breathe. Hell, she didn't even think her own heart was still pumping inside her ribcage. Not when he was staring at her like that. What was it? Anger? Hate? And if she was hopeful enough, was some of it concern?

But through her pounding fear of the inevitable if word was let out, she became severely confused. The more she thought of what to think, she became more overwhelmed and lost. Was all the fury inside his stormy blue eyes aimed at her? Did she do something? No, no, the more she thought; she couldn't even remember anything because of her clouded mind. She couldn't seem to answer simple questions like why she was outside and what had happened. Everything was just and unclear.

By now, Sora's taller form was practically towering over her. "What's really happening, Kairi?"

Before he could stop her, she had regained the bearings of her body and fled from him; across the emerald blades of grass towards their school.

Sora was about to start after her, determined to get down to the bottom of what she had written, but a small object caught his eye. It was a smooth polished pendant. He recognized it as the one that Kairi had always worn and never taken off in front of anybody. Snatching the piece of jewelry from the ground, he scaled the school grounds more quickly than Kairi had and headed into the building, determined to follow her and trace down the true meanings of her bone-chilling words.

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A/N: Ah, yes. The Sora/Kairi relationship is starting to build, and so is the more pairing of Tidus and Yuna. See you till next time!

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Kuramie and Kaiaramith – Hi Kuramie! Thanks! I'll try to post the next chapter soon. ASAP, I promise, .

Refrigerate After Opening (Lonely Cowboy) – Well, you'll see. Don't worry though, if your question weren't answered in this chappie, I'm pretty sure it will be later on.

brianna() – Thanks for spreading the word! I'm glad you feel that the story keeps improving as it goes. I think this story's a keeper.

annjirika() – Well, both of them were mentioned in the last chapter, but you'll see more of them. Definitely more Sora cuz Kairi's the main character and Tidus will be popping up once in a while cuz he's with Yuna. ;D

MELODY SONG 922 – Teehee, thanks! You bet that I'll keep this going!

zilly – I guess this chapter answered your question, huh? Lol.

dreamstar7() – Cliffhangers are cliffhangers and I like being evil, lol. Just kiddin'. Well, I dunno how quick I can update, but I have to keep my other stories pacing as well. I try to rotate and take turns so that the ideas stay fresh and not stale. Plus the fact that I'm constantly busy, my updates can be few and far in between; depending of course. 0 But this story's a keeper so don't worry, this will be updated till it's finished!

KingdomHearts309 – Yeah, the last update was kinda quick, wasn't it? Wellz, like I said in one of my many A/N's, my updates are very random. Lol. Thanks for supporting me this far! I listen to your encouragement a lot and it does motivate me a lot!

hush the silent - I don't have a lot of time on my hands. Heck, I dun even have a Spring break cuz of the Teachers' Strike that went on a few months ago for 2 weeks. Baka Teachers' Union said that they weren't getting paid enough and junk like that. Therefore, it seems that the school board took it out on the students and now we don't have Spring break (more like just two days!) cuz we missed two weeks time of school which was NOT vacation cuz every morinin', you wake up really early to wait for the news on whether or not the strike was over…………………ugh!!!! 0

chaz() – Lol, thanks! I'm really glad that you like this story! I'll try to update when I can!!!

sakura-clover – Thanks! Cute story? It'll sure turn out to be one, I hope! Umm……………and about your other comment……………I didn't think I followed ; And I'll try to update soon!

Katrina-chan – Hey thanks! I'll update whenever I can!

Terri() – Hey Terri! My god, I thought you were an anonymous and that's that! Before I didn't realize it was you! . Lol. Dun worry, Sora will be nicer………………I hope. I'll update soon I guess.

Nattu – Yea, I know. Poor Kairi, her things all messed and stuff………………… I'm not sure when I can update or update soon cuz I'm really really busy! But this story's a keeper so it WILL be updated no matter what.

J-Kwon – Uhhh, thanks! I'm glad you thought it was nice!

keybladeweilder – Oi! Thanks you're your reviews!

Black Mistress – I hope your questions are answered! Nd I'll update whenever I can, k?

paopu-cat – Thanks for your review! I'm you enjoyed this fic! I'll try to get the next chappie out ASAP!!!

Black-Rose72 – No prob. I'll try to update as quickly as I can, okay? Thanks for your review!!

Regno Cuore – Getting Kairi's voice back? Hmmm………………… I dunno. Maybe……………………… Maybe not! We'll see. But I'm glad you're enjoying this ficcie! You're not the only one who wants her to get her voice back.

The Six of Hearts – Thanks! I'll try to quicken my pace on this story!

Aw, poor Sora! Slapping him three times must be real painful! Who knows, if ya piss him off too much, he just might slap YOU back. j/k. grins How was the extra slapping scene I put in for this chapter? Lol.

And thanks for all your reviews! You dunno how much I appreciate all the support you've given me! Good luck on your stories as well, 6H!!!!!

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	6. Living in a Nightmare

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Chapter 6

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Author: Kintora

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A/N: Hey Dudes and Dudettes. Finally, another chapter! I had to recover from the soreness of sitting on butt typing this up for a few straight hours. Ugh. Anyway, now that I've written the sixth chapter up, just lay back, relax, cross your stinky feet on your desks for all I care, and read. Bon appetite! (I dun think I spelled that right...)

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Kairi knew that Sora had followed her and made sure that she had taken all sorts of sticky knotted hallways to lose him. Hell, she even ran through all the floors of the school, gone back to the locker bay and grabbed her stuff, then headed out the building to her house.

Walking down the darkening streets, Kairi had new problems to face. First of all, how was she going to confront her "parents"? They hated it when she came back too late, but it depended on whether or not they were too busy arguing or fighting with each other to care.

She hoped that luck would be on her side tonight.

Her feet trudged heavily in the direction of her house. How could she call the place 'home' if it was nothing but a mere shelter she lived under... and beaten under? Her mind drifted to her stepfather and her skin chilled.

The wind picked up just at that moment making Kairi wince and shiver. She rubbed her hands fervently over her thickly covered arms to regain warmth, but only felt the dull aching of her bruises beneath.

Kairi thought of her stepmother and the pan that the older woman had used to whack her on the arm when she burnt the oven by accident. After all, she wasn't the best cook in the world. She felt scared and unwilling to go back, but if she didn't, she'd only get in even more trouble.

Turning a corner, she saw the little house that belonged to her stepparents. It looked cold even with a few lights turned on from the inside. And soon, the front door loomed into view and towered over her small-framed body.

Why her?

Taking out her house key, she unlocked the door and opened it as quietly as possible. Sure enough, there was the sound of arguments in the kitchen, but they stopped when the screen door clicked with a snap.

The heavy footsteps of her stepfather stormed into the living room where she stood on the door carpet looking like a frightened little puppy.

"Where the _hell_ have you been, you pathetic bitch!" he spat as spittle fell from the corner of his mouth. Kairi flinched and bit her lip.

Her stepmother hissed vilely, "Stop yelling already, it's useless getting a mute to answer you! As for you, you bastard child! You should know better than to come home so late. Do you need another beating to remember that authorities come to this house to check up on you? _Did you think you could run away from us?!_"

Her stepfather ignored her stepmother and grabbed Kairi's arm. She bit her lip harder and drew blood as the throbbing pain felt stronger than ever in her weak limb.

"_STUPID WENCH!_"

He punched her in the stomach and threw her against the wall. Then her stepparents left her and went back to the kitchen to argue, but they seemed a bit calmer.

Was she just a punching bag? Was she really as useless and pathetic as the way she was told she was?

Kairi sat there for a few seconds. She had felt herself slam harshly into the wall and her neck suffer a painful backlash, but her book bag had broken a serious cause for a bad spine. She had felt the books inside her bag crunch up when it hit... And hated to bear the fact in mind that it could have been her back being crushed.

Picking her wobbly self up and holding her ribs, she stumbled up the stairs to her room. Dropping to the ground, she collapsed and coughed violently. Bringing her hand to her face, she tried to wipe her mouth with her sleeve, only to have the cloth turn a murky red color.

Pulling herself up again, she pushed her window open and climbed out onto the thick tree branch right before her. After a few scary moments of climbing and scraping down the side of the trunk in her weak state, she had managed to reach the solid ground. Kairi knew where to go. She'd go to Yuna's for some help.

Yuna now knew about Kairi's frightening secret. She would help her because she knew what was going on.

The tawny-haired girl only lived about two blocks away.

It seemed so very far.

Kairi's vision swam and her head felt lighter and lighter with each step till she found that she could barely control her struggling movements any longer. Luckily, Yuna's green front door stood before her. The words on the wooden sign that said "Welcome Home!" blurred as she plunged for the doormat. Her hand raised and hit the doorbell weakly making a short crisp chime inside.

Yuna's cheerful voice cried out to her parents, "I got it!" Only to scream with wide eyes at her best friend on the ground, bleeding with blood.

And knocked out cold.

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Sora rapped his pencil against his desk during science class that day. His bored cerulean eyes gazed out the window. He hadn't seen Kairi or even her best friend Yuna the entire day. Every time he tried to forget about it, Kairi's words replayed themselves over and over in his mind.

Was what she said true?

Was she really abused at home?

Where was she now?

Was she okay?

His pencil stopped its constant tapping as he reached into one of his cargo pockets to see if Kairi's pendant was still there. Sora sighed with relief when he touched its cool glossy surface and clenched his fist around it. Wherever Kairi was, he suddenly wished that she would be fine.

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Tidus glanced around the math room looking for Yuna's familiar face, but she was nowhere to be seen. She hadn't shown up for any of their classes together. Something was wrong and he could sense it.

_RRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!_

The bell rang throughout the school signaling lunch and made Tidus jump a foot in his seat. Wakka came up and put a hand on his friend's shoulder causing Tidus to fall out of his chair this time.

"Whoa man, chill ya? Little brudda seems a bit jumpy today," Wakka laughed. But the orange haired boy stopped when Tidus stood up with a frown. "Hey Tidus, something happen?"

Tidus just swiped a hand through his sun kissed strands of blond hair, his eyes full of hidden concern, "Nah, sorry Wakka. Maybe later?"

As Tidus bent to grab his stuff, Wakka slung an arm over his friend's shoulder in a brotherly way, "Something's troubling you a lot, ya? You keep hiding it and it'll eat you up. Like a shark with a minnow, ya?"

The blond shook his head, "I promised not to tell and I won't. Not until I know I can, okay?"

With that, Tidus stalked out of the room, his head held casually and greeting anyone who said hi to him with a small smile and nod. Wakka scratched his head and walked out of the classroom too only to bump into Rikku and Selphie.

"Hey Wakka!" Rikku chirped.

"Hey! You two think Tidus's doing okay today?" he asked worriedly.

Selphie thought for a second and shook her head, "Come to think of it, he seemed a bit out of it earlier. It's the same with Sora! I wonder what happened to them over night... they're not acting normally and I'm really, really worried."

"What? Not Sora too, ya?" Wakka asked astonished at his friends' strange behaviors.

Rikku nodded sadly, "Afraid so, Wakka. Those two just weren't themselves! We bumped into both of them during gym and in the hallways and they were just zoned out. I say we try talking to them at the table. You know, try to get something out of them."

Wakka shook his head, "Nah, guys. That won't work. I tried to get something out of Tidus, ya? But it was useless. He wouldn't mention a thing! It must be some really big deal. Those two barely ever keep their mouths shut."

"Well, I'll have to agree with you. They don't usually mind telling us anything!" Selphie said.

They all stopped at the locker bay and grabbed their lunches. Then the trio set off for the cafeteria to meet the rest of their group.

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Riku opened his lunch bag as usual and looked at Sora and Tidus's stoic faces. They were sure acting weird. People were busily talking to each other in the large room, but many were staring curiously at them. The silver-haired teen decided to start a conversation. He was also slightly baffled why his usually active friends were so quiet.

"Hey, guys. What's up?" Riku asked.

Tidus just grunted and Sora shrugged, "Nothing."

Riku raised an eyebrow at them, but they didn't seem to notice and kept on eating their lunches absent-mindedly. Just then Rikku, Wakka, and Selphie came in and sat down in their seats.

They exchanged greetings, but judging Riku's eyes the other three knew that Sora and Tidus still hadn't dropped their awkward silence at all.

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Kairi awoke during midday. The afternoon sunshine caressed her garnet colored hair and made her squint. Looking away from the light, Kairi noticed that she wasn't in her own room. The warm homey colors of green and blues slowly organized in her disoriented vision into a clean room with plenty of stuffed animals on the dressers and shelves.

There were books of all sorts placed on the desk and shelves. Pictures and paintings hung on the light green walls. She could see her smiling faces on most of them with Yuna right by her with the same cheerful and relaxed expression each time. That was when it clicked.

Suddenly, all her memories from last night flooded her mind. The painful punishment of getting home late and the struggles to even reach Yuna's house. The wooden door squeaked open gently and a woman with shoulder length blonde hair came in. Her bright green eyes twinkled when she saw that Kairi was awake.

"I'm glad to see you're finally awake Kairi! We were all so worried when Yuna found you the way you were last night. Are you feeling better?"

Kairi tried to smile and began to force herself up. A horrible pain struck her stomach area and made her collapse with a dull "thump" onto Yuna's bed again. Yuna's mother hurried over, "Oh dear. It's okay, Kairi. You relax for now, all right? I'll have Yuna bring up some tea and soup for you."

Kairi shook her head and signaled with her hands. Yuna's mother was a sign language teacher so Kairi knew that she would understand, 'No, it's okay. Thank you though.'

"No, no, honey. You really need some food to regain some strength," She paused by the door again and turned around smiling, "Now stay put and don't sit up just yet. It'll hurt even worse!" With that, her footsteps led down the stairs.

Moments later, Yuna showed up carrying a tray with tea and soup as promised, "Hey Kairi. You feeling a bit better? Some food should help you recover in no time!" Setting everything down on the bedside table, Yuna pulled her desk chair over to the side of the bed.

Kairi sat up with much help from Yuna. 'Why aren't you at school?'

Yuna frowned, "Would you really think that I'd leave my best friend in this condition just for school? Come on! You know me better than that! Anyway, are you feeling well enough to explain what exactly happened last night? My parents were really concerned about knowing, but I wouldn't tell them."

Kairi replied, 'Can I have paper and a pen, please? It's best if I write down...'

Yuna nodded and grabbed what Kairi had asked for. It took her a while to write, but was able to write down what happened. Yuna read quickly, "My gosh! Kairi, you really need to tell the police or something! This is serious! Tell me, if you hadn't trusted me with the truth, you wouldn't have come to my house last night, right?"

Kairi nodded but motioned with her hands, 'I can't tell the police. Please don't make me do that.'

"What about my parents? They'd need to know or else they would report anyhow without knowing what's going on exactly. You know my mom and dad love you, they'd understand. I promise!"

Kairi shifted uncomfortably then nodded finally, 'But they can't go tell police. I need time and evidence. If I fail to convince the police, I'll get sent back to those monsters.'

Yuna nodded, "Yeah, I know. But I trust my parents a lot. I'll bring my mom in now. She's home today and we'll discuss this, okay?" After receiving Kairi's final nod in approval, the tawny haired girl left.

Kairi sat still.

Had she done the right thing to tell?

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A/N: Sayonara, Chapter six. Chapter seven should arrive in a few days or weeks – probably next month even depending as of today (this chapters Update-Day.) If I'm happy with what people tell me in their reviews, I'll consider updating it as fast as possible. So if you even bother leaving a comment, it better be nice or at least have some _constructive_ criticism that actually helps me in my writing to make it better.

And no, Kairi's not going to die for those of you who are Kairi-haters. I don't know what some of you guys got in your brains about her, but she's remaining as a live person.

Now let's answer some reviews! Thanks to all of you faithful reviewers and authors!

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Aki Tari NAI – Thanks for your review! Yeah I know some of this stuff's depressing but it just might brighten depending on my mood. Heh. Evil cliffhangers? What evil cliffhangers? looks around innocently I see no evil cliffhangers.

sakura-clover – Ah. Points accusingly So YOU'RE an evil Kairi-HATER!!!! She may seem weak in the game, but you have to admit that you don't see her THAT often. I won't argue with you, but I'm glad that you haven't said that she should die and rot in hell like what I've heard from some other reviewers and authors. ( sigh Well, at least she's good in this story for you. But you'll see MORE of what she goes through. Real scary if you look in her perspective correctly. I'm keeping this PG-13 so there's gonna be no R content. But it's gonna go kinda ugly I think.

juzlovnsora – Thanks for the review! Don't hurt yourself there…

Annjirika – Thanks! The note-writing scene was just an idea I popped in. You know, I tried to put myself in Kairi's shoes for this story and thought it was best if I got both of them to write. But of course, Sora's a nice guy! Still, he's now a typical popular kid who thinks he rules the grade. sigh Maybe he'll be more understanding now that he's met Kairi in a more person-to-person way.

MoonFlow-Kairi – Heyaz! I think I've got everything planned for this story, so don't you worry! I'll keep going and try to make the very best out of it!!!!! Thanks for supporting me through your reviews! Sorry, ASAP stands for "As Soon As Possible". I like to use it a lot. Hehehe.

Black Mistress – I can understand why you thought Kairi should tell someone rather than keeping it inside, but ya gotta know that she's scared. If her stepparents found out somehow, she'd be a goner. And like I said, when people are scared to an extent like that, they get confused and can't think clearly enough about what's the better choice. For instance, if someone was beating you up and threatening you to a point where you can't take it anymore, you'd most likely just want to hide or run away and NOT face the problem. Sometimes even death might seem like the perfect choice. shrug I'm just emphasizing the fear a lot.

hush the silent – Absolutely, Hush! I'll write more soon. As much as you guys like to read it, I like to write it as well. It's probably one of my favorite pieces of writing even though I like almost every one of my stories, poems, etc. Until I update again, ciao till then!

The Six of Hearts – Oh dear. You really love to harass that poor boy, doncha? And of course there'll be fluff! I totally agree that as long as there's fluff, everything will be better! I don't call this a Sokairi fanfiction for no reason!!!

Regno Cuore – Ah, what do ya know, people change. But anyway, you'll see! There's more to come!

teenitoxipixi - looks thoughtful Yeah, I guess that there's visual nicotine when it comes to fictional stories, but the only difference is that reading's actually good for you! (Unlike the drug) Thanks for your review!

mwhaha – Dun worry, I won't leave ya hanging forever! Just in between the updates, ne? Then you'll find out soon enough in the next chapter! Cya then!

MELODY SONG 922 – Lol. Thanks! I'll try to update when I can.

zilly – I'm glad that they're a bunch of you reviewers out there who're enthusiastic about this story! It really pumps my blood when I write! But mind you, I'll stick to a steady pace cuz you guys do want a nice chapter instead of a choppy one, right? Thanks for reviewing! Ttyl next time!

bom -bom -chika –chika – If it's ASAP, you have my word! I'll keep writing, don't you worry! Thanks a bunch!

Tallis – Oi! Thanks!!! For some reason, I feel that this has been my best SK story yet! I'm not mute either, but I once couldn't speak for about three weeks cuz I had a really horrible case of laryngitis. :P I was miserable and people laughed at me when ever I tried to talk cuz practically nothing came out. I carried a notebook around so I could "speak", but it's one memory that I'll hate forever. 0 Thanks again for your review! I'm glad you're enjoying it!

AeRiSdOnO – No prob. And I'm gonna be dishin' out the next chapter in while I guess. But it'll be there! Promise!

KingdomHearts309 – You betcha gal! Sorry about the late update! I think that was why you nearly forgot about this fic. 0 I'm trying to update when I can, but I barely even had a spring break this year!!!! It was all because of a teachers' union strike thingy. :P Plus I'm always busy which makes everything so complicated!!!! starts singing COMPLICATED Nah, don't worry, I don't mind anyone being weird cuz I'm probably one of the worst idiots ever! 0

Persephone's-Child – Don't worry! This story will always be updated. I just dunno when. 0 And I'm not sure if the chapters will be very long cuz when I update, I'm just lucky that I even have time to write a chapter. But I'm glad you like my story!

keybladeweilder – Ano, arigato! Thanks:D I'm glad you're enjoying this fic! And... dun hurt yourself. Heh. 0

paopu-cat – Hey! Lots of thankies to ya! You're one of those who've supported me a lot through this story! I'll try to make my chapters better and better. That's my goal at least!

red dragon() – I'll write more! Dun worry!

Terri() – Hi! That's all? Just cuz he's being cute? Okay, suit yourself. I'm glad you're enjoying it!

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	7. No More Scattered Dreams

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Chapter 7

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Author: Kintora

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A/N: Hey everyone! I was running on a bit of a writer's block and needed time to think it out. And judging me, it takes a while to get my brain to figure out a solution for the plot. But thanks so much for all the support in Chapter 6's comments! I hope you all have a good time reading Chapter 7 then.

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That day, Yuna and her mother, Aore conversed with Kairi about everything thing that was going on in her life since the first time she became mute up till now. Yuna's mother had been clearly shocked and hugged the redhead in assurance if some parts became quite difficult to discuss about. Especially when Kairi explained about her dead parents. God, she really wished to stop the violent hiccups and force herself to stop getting so misty eyed every single time she talked about them.

Even after all these years after the crash, she couldn't bear telling the story. It was really hard controlling that dark feeling deep down.

Yuna had once heard of Kairi's parents being killed in the accident. But Kairi had always told her that a relative or someone was taking care of her. The two never really talked about "them" since Kairi didn't like to jump onto the subject at all. In fact, Yuna now knew the true reason behind Kairi's defensiveness in the past. Kairi hated her stepparents and the fact that they were abusive. And for Yuna to visit Kairi back then… wasn't really a good choice. That's why Kairi wanted to keep Yuna from getting hurt by just not letting her go.

After agreeing to terms, Kairi was to stay at Yuna's home and the police weren't to know of anything until they could build up enough evidence to bring to court so they could somehow release Kairi from her stepparents' care. But they had to stop there as the front door banged open and the "Triple Terrors" entered the house arguing. Yuna rolled her eyes at the loud racket that her triplet brothers made as they came thundering into the kitchen.

The "Triple Terrors" as Yuna would say, were her three younger brothers: Zach, Zell, and Zidane. They didn't look at all like each other actually. Zach had really dark brown hair, Zell was a spiky blonde, and Zidane had a tawny colored layers like Yuna. But the one special thing that connects all three of them in appearance is that they all had the same crystal blue eyes.

Now if only their behaviors were as charming as their looks.

"Zidane you twit! Why the heck did you have to tip off our only chance to beat Garnet's score? It's all your fault! She knows our strategy now!" Zell yelled at his brother.

Kairi looked at Aore and Yuna. Yuna looked thoroughly annoyed, which was uncommon for someone like her, and Aore was rubbing her forehead as if to get rid of the oncoming headaches. Kairi figured that if living with a triplet of fiery 6th grade boys, life could simply become hell.

"WHAT?! My fault? If Zach and you hadn't tried to bitch at me to tell you my plan right then and there, I wouldn't have said it in front of her!" Zidane argued right back. Zach fumed, "Great. Now I'm part of it too? First, I don't bitch. Second, I didn't do anything! It was you and Zell who were being pig-headed bastards!"

Zell lost it completely, "I'm not pig-headed or a bastard, you little weasel! If I was, both of you would be bastards too – ever thought of that? You're a real ass!" He threw a punch at Zach, but Zach ducked and it hit Zidane instead. The tawny-haired boy swung back at Zell, but Zell moved only to get whacked by Zach.

The boys continued to berate each other as Aore, Yuna, and Kairi made their way down the stairs as fast as possible. Aore grabbed Zell before he could land another punch at Zach and Yuna pulled Zidane to a side. Zach looked like he was about to cream someone before Kairi put a hand on his shoulder and shook her head. He glared at her, but was able to slowly calm down again.

When things sizzled down, Aore grounded the boys for cursing and violent behavior for a week. Plus no TV, computer/video games, Internet, or allowance and arcade after school for two full months. They each had to read two chapter books that their mother approved of and write a one-page summary for each book; typed, Times New Roman, size 12, 1.5 spaced. Kairi sure felt bad for them.

During dinner that night, Yuna and Kairi brought the boys' supper to them since the guys weren't allowed at the table (which was part of the punishment.) The two best friends then headed back down to dinner.

By then, Yuna's mother explained everything about what Kairi had told her to Braska, Yuna's father. Braska was a bit startled by Kairi's suddenly uncovered past. He and the rest of Yuna's family knew that Kairi's parents were dead, but he hadn't had a clue as to the rest. When Yuna asked her father if Kairi could stay for the time being, he readily agreed.

Aore turned back to Kairi however. Something didn't click earlier, "But Kairi, I have a question. Just how did you become get mute? I don't want to prod but –"

Kairi's eyes were downcast as she took of the neck of her turtleneck and pulled it down slightly. There was a jagged scar right above where her larynx was. At first glance it appeared faint, but if given the chance for a closer look, it's was quite visual to the eye. Yuna was feeling a bit faint herself when she saw it. She couldn't imagine what it would be like having her throat run through with something pointy and sharp. Yuna's parents were both surprised.

Aore gave a start and Braska asked Kairi if she'd ever had it checked on it after the accident before. Kairi looked uncomfortable but finally signaled, 'No' with a shake of her head. That night, Yuna's parents wanted to take Kairi to the hospital in the morning, but Kairi was thoroughly against it. If the doctors were to find out about what happened, they'd report the police or something. And the promise to keep quiet would go to ruin.

But Aore was still concerned. "Still Kairi, after this mess is cleaned up, you'll have the doctor check on you, right?" Kairi was silent for a moment. The truth was, 'I don't have the money…'

Aore and Yuna furrowed their eyebrows. No money to pay the doctor was definitely a problem. Doctor appointments and possible surgeries were really expensive combined. Yuna told her father what Kairi said and Braska too was a bit troubled and asked, "But Kairi, don't you have social security or insurance? I'm sure your parents had to have put something down for you when you were little since if anything were to happen to them, at least you'd be able to have some money to back you up. Yuna and her brothers have social security and insurance so I thought…"

Kairi nodded her head nervously and asked for pencil and paper. When she was given what she needed she quickly wrote down her answer and gave it to Yuna. Yuna skimmed it a bit and began to read aloud from the paper, "I did have social security and insurance. When I had become mute and both my parents died, no one was there to make the decision on whether or not I should have surgery. I couldn't say if I wanted to or not because I was too young. They need a guardian to decide that. The next thing I knew, my stepparents adopted me. They decided that I shouldn't have surgery. As I grew up I came to realize why."

Yuna bit her lip and frowned, "By using my insurance, they would have the money they needed. If I weren't disabled anymore, the money wouldn't go directly to them, but to my own needs and not theirs. That's why I wasn't to have surgery. That's why I'm still a mute. This way they can use me for the money my parents left behind."

Braska and Aore were upset after they heard that and shook their heads. Yuna set the paper down and looked at Kairi. Kairi couldn't face her. She felt that she was unable to look at her friend straight in the eye. "Kairi?" Yuna asked, "How come you've kept this secret from me and everyone else? I'm your friend and I thought you knew that I could help if you asked, so why didn't you?"

Kairi avoided their eyes as she used her hands to give her message, 'I was scared. They said that they would hurt me very badly, worse than I am now.' Aore, Braska, and Yuna sat quietly as Kairi continued, 'I couldn't tell anyone. I wanted to, but I couldn't. What if they were to find out? I just couldn't. I'm very sorry for hiding this all these years…'

Yuna finally nodded her head. She was still hurt that Kairi hadn't told her sooner, but her friend did have a point. When people felt threatened and scared, they couldn't think right. In this case, Kairi was too scared to tell anyone even her. And Kairi had practically stated that she didn't think any kind of help would help her so she stayed silent and felt that it was the best decision.

After the talk, they dropped the subject and Kairi was grateful for not having discuss it any further for now.

In the meantime, she stayed home at Yuna's for a few days until she was ready to go back to school again. When the day finally came, the redhead dreaded it. Yuna came home each day telling Kairi how Sora's group kept watching her. Sora had even come up to Yuna to ask where "the mute girl" was.

Well now he'll know.

Kairi and Yuna woke up one school morning to the deafening sound of the alarm clock. Yuna groaned and slammed a fist onto the poor battered machine and added a new dent, though she had successfully shut it up. Kairi rolled out of the sleeping bag on the floor that she had been nestled quite comfortably in.

Yuna rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, "Morning, Kai," she mumbled as she got up. Kairi lay on the carpeted floor and kept her eyes shut to block the sun for a few more minutes. Yuna padded tiredly to the closet and avoided trampling Kairi in the process. She flung the doors open and looked around. Taking out some clothing, she picked the ones that she would wear and chose another outfit for Kairi to borrow.

She dropped the green T-shirt and jean shorts she had selected for Kairi onto the girl's face before walking out the room like a zombie to the hallway bathroom. Kairi struggled up and stretched with a silent yawn before taking off her borrowed pajamas. She slipped into her given clothes and walked to the bathroom to wait her turn.

The morning didn't brighten till the girls seated themselves at the table. Yuna poured herself a bowl of cereal and a glass of fruit juice, "Nervous, Kai?"

Kairi signaled with her hands, 'A little bit, but what do our classmates think? …I've been gone very long.'

Yuna nodded in understanding. She chewed and swallowed, "Yeah, but might want some bread or something before going to school. I know that you can avoid throwing up your breakfast if you don't eat this morning, but you need your strength until lunch." She noticed Kairi shaking her head and sighed. Picking up an orange, Yuna tossed the citrus to her friend. Kairi caught it on reflex and looked at it. "Go on Kairi. If you can't eat anything else, fruits are the best at curing nervousness."

Kairi held it away from her and feigned disgust, but her stomach began grumbling lightly as if calling for the round juicy delicious-looking –

'Fine,' Kairi motioned with her hands, 'I'll eat it.' Yuna giggled and smiled triumphantly as Kairi peeled off the skin and nibbled on the sweet corners of the orange slices.

They then grabbed their lunches on the counter that Aore packed for them earlier and then headed out the door. The journey to school was short. When they reached the school doors, Kairi began to pale. She hadn't realized she was so nervous. She made a move to turn away, but Yuna took her arm and practically dragged the redhead in, "Come on Kairi, it's not like anybody's gonna eat you!"

Kairi and Yuna made their way to the locker bay and separated to their own lockers on opposites sides, "Good luck Kairi. And remember, if Sora or his friends bother you; go straight to one of the teachers."

Kairi went through the morning without any problems. Sora and his friends just seemed to ignore her, but she could feel some of their eyes on her once in a while. Something was fishy, but she chose to be cautious instead of jumping right up to them and demanding an answer for why they weren't mistreating her like usual. But it's not that she wanted to be mistreated…

Lunch had finally come and the two friends were on their way to the library to study with Aerith. They were about to enter when Kairi remember that she forgot her science textbook. She told Yuna to go on ahead before walking up the stairs and through the halls back to the locker bay. She tugged on her locker before it's broken lock allowed the door to ease open. Looking in, she felt really bad. It looked so empty without all her story notebooks and art books and messy post-it notes that she stuck to the walls. She guessed that everything ripped and shredded must have been cleaned out since the incident.

Think about the incident brought her back to thinking about Sora. Why did he do what he did? What had she done to annoy him? Maybe it was the fact that she couldn't retaliate. She couldn't really protect herself verbally, which made her the most vulnerable in school. In school, everyone was always mouthing off at each other from time to time and she just couldn't do the same. 'Maybe Sora thought I was the easiest prey,' Kairi thought. Once again, she wished she had that voice in her head down in her throat. It sounded bright and… well, like her in a way. Why wouldn't it?

Reaching into her locker she grabbed her book and stared at the cover while she smiled. Perhaps one day she would regain her voice. Then she could laugh and have fun. People would probably like her better too if she had a beautiful tinkling voice when she spoke. At least she hoped that it would be beautiful and tinkling. She held the door of her locker and was about to close it when another thought came into mind. But would it happen? Would she really have a voice? Maybe even surgery wouldn't work… Then what? Would she be hated forever because she just couldn't fit in?

"Spacing out again I see," came a slightly sarcastic tone from behind. Kairi was snapped out of her reverie very abruptly and slammed the metal door closed on impulse. "Taking it out on locker? That makes sense. I suppose you wouldn't be too happy to see me," Sora grinned in a teasing way. Whether it was just a silly comment or a mean one, Kairi couldn't really tell.

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A/N: Heya guys! Chapter 7 done and Chapter 8's gonna be up next! If you tune in, you'll see what happens next!

I love answering all your reviews! And remember, if you ever have any questions to ask, just include it with your comment/AIM/Yahoo instant messaging/or email. I promise I'll get back to you in a response or something so keep on the look out!

I'm not sure if I got the insurance thing right since I'm definitely no adult themes. Heck, I'm still pretty young compared to some of you other writers out there. :P So I had to ask around and forgive me if some of my information's wrong. I'm trying and it'll have to do for the story!

And about the punishment for Yuna's brothers…That punishment was one of the punishments I got before. It was not fun and I think I lost half my sanity in those weeks of torture. I was just in a big fight with my big brother. Lol. But that was in second grade. (:D) I wasn't grounded for cursing though cuz my vocabulary wasn't that colorful.

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Black-Rose72 – No problem! I tried to update as soon as possible for this chappy, but what the heck, I always tend to be a tad late or so. But the promised chapter(s) will always be there sooner or later!

slivers7() – Well uh, okay! With your teeth? Lol. I hope you like this so far!

onlydreamingx3 – Hey thanks! I'm happy that you like this AU fic! I'm pretty sure that there're some good ones out there too! Give them a try also! Perhaps they would be a good influence to look at!

Tallis – Well, this COULD be considered a bit angsty (or a lot, depending), but I didn't have enough room to put this story in that genre as well. In the beginning, I kinda just did an "inie-meenie-miney-mo" way of picking between Drama and Angst. shrugs But you'll see! And I'll just say that this story is still gonna stick to Sokairi romance. You have my word! Thanks for asking though!

Daggerly – No prob! I'll update when I can, but those moments are a bit rare! If I begin to drag too long, you and the other reviewers have my permission to email and kick me into gear! Thanks for your review! I'm glad you're enjoying this fic!

zilly – Lol. Yea, I reckon people like stories better when there's plenty to read. And I like the fics (like this one) where there's plenty to write! Thanks for all the support you've given me in the past chapters!

Cmdr. Defiance Nighthawk – Hehe. Thanks! This story's gonna be updated whenever I've got the right time in my hands!

bom -bom -chika –chika – Thanks for all your enthusiasm! Lol! I love hearin' from ya! You've given me a lot of optimism when I read your reviews!

classengurl – Thanks! Well, I'm reading your fic right now and you're a good writer to begin with and you'll keep on improving if you read other people's fics and learn from their good attributes or areas for improvement. You can strengthen your writing that way! And I'd also recommend you to read many books from a library or somewhere. They always help a bunch! Good luck on your fanfictions!

AeRiSdOnO – Lol. I love hearing that you really enjoy my fics! I like to write my "When Love Blooms at Opposite Ends" fic and I'm really happy to know that you like that one a lot!! But don't be down about your own fics! All you need is to believe in yourself! But if you ever have trouble with anything, I'd be glad to help you if I can! But I'm sure your fictions aren't as bad as you think they are so keep your chin up and keep on going!

hush the silent – Hey Hush! Thanks a bunch for your encouragements! And you sound a lot like a friend I know at school! Lol. Thanks again! Cyaz next time!

Fire Spirit – Yeah, I know. Kairi's suffering a lot right now, but I suppose things will look on a bit brighter!

keybladeweilder – Hi again! Thanks for dropping by for the last chapter! I hope you liked this chapter…………………………0 Though I'm afraid that it may not have come out as fast as I would've liked, but…………………………………… It came out, right? (:D) Ehehehe. Ttyl!!

Terri() - gasp Terri??? EVIL smirking?????? O.o I can't imagine that! shakes head silly Anyway, yeah, I know the abuse was a pretty scary part, but I had to put it in. Remember what I told ya? No mercy when in a writing stories. All action applies to benefit the story. But of course, you know that I'd never hurt her, ne:P

anonymous() – Hi! Thanks for reading my fanfic! Well, I dunno who you are, but I'm really grateful you told me that this story was touching. My goal was for people to understand the feelings circulating within this piece and I had hoped that someone would actually feel the emotions. I'm glad that you are one of them, and had actually come to me to say what you felt while reading. Now I know that my writing is improving and I'm not from where I was in the beginning anymore. I owe you a lot. This is one of the best things that an author could ever get from their readers. I hope I'll be seeing you around in the next chapter or so! Double thanks and many more!

paopu-cat – Hi! Thanks for your compliment! There's more to the plot so stick around!

onlydreamingx3 – Do something not nice? Well, I think I could put in a few more scenes like that………………… But I don't want to over do it! That'd make my story waaaaay too depressing! Cya around!

MoonFlow-Kairi – Hey! Great to see ya again! Thanks a bunch for keeping your enthusiasm for my story! I was worried that nobody would want to come back and read it anymore because of all my late updates. sigh But it's never easy to kick my butt back in gear sometimes. Especially since I'm so busy lately. Ciao!

kairi-chan – Hi there! Thanks for reading my stories! I know that my other KH fic has nothing to do with this one, but my schedule's packed like I've said. My updates can be pretty random, so ya gotta hang in there for a while! But don't worry, my KH fics WILL be updated. As for my other stories (RK and IY)…………………… I think they're close to discontinued and I'm probably gonna leave them there for whom ever feels that they want to read them. Hope to see ya soon!

nemesis101() – Lol. Thanks! I really appreciate your opinion on my story! Sometimes I wonder whether or not ppl actually like it or not. Thanks again!

The Six of Hearts – sweatdrops Here we go again. Jeez, I think I'm starting to REALLY pity Sora! Lol. But thanks for checking in on my story! And you better write your fics too! I know what you mean by "Neo-Pets addiction" cuz all my friends seem to face the same thing at school. 0 Cya around!

Tohrue – I totally agree Tohrue! But leave it to everyone to have individual opinions. But I wish some people could at least keep it to themselves! What kind of person am I to complain though? Argh, I have a big mouth and little sense so just ignore me. 0 I hope you liked this chapter!!!!!!

sora38 – Aww! Thanks! I'm sorry to make you guys wait an all, but I've been extra busy lately. The Chinese finals were not too long ago and I'll have my English, Math, etc finals soon or already. (Well, it's 6/11/2004 today as I'm responding to your review….) sigh I deeply appreciate you guys for reading my stories! It makes me happy that there're people out there who like them.

Dynamis – Thanks! I like to pack in a lot emotion in my fics, but sometimes they never really stand out. One of my goals as an author is to learn how to make the reader understand and feel what's going on as they read. lol. Cya soon!

totalREfan – I'm so sorry for such a late update! I've bee really frantic lately. School's about over (6/12/2004 as I'm answering your review right now) and we've been getting projects after exams and vise versa, it was driving me NUTSO!!!! sigh I hate making so many excuses, but it's the truth. But hang in there! The story's not gonna be over yet! Ttyl!

starweasley-kewlio – Hey Terri()! Thanks for your review! This time, as an author. Congrats!

hearts of dreams() – Thanks! I'm glad you liked my story!

Danzing in Doubtz – Sorry about the late updates, but I get some writer's block sometimes. It takes a bit of time to get my brain into gear and kick in a solution. :P But don't worry! There's NO WAY I'm gonna drop this story!

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	8. Her Lone Angel

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Chapter 8

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Author: Kintora

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A/N: Hey again! Thanks for your supporting comments last time! And I'm really sorry about the slow updates, but please _don't try to rush me!_ It doesn't work that way. I believe that people have gotten nasty flames before, whether or not you accept them or don't. I'm one of those who could care less, but prefer not to receive any. So for the flamers out there, who want to bitch at me, bitch at me in your head and not in my face. If you don't like what I write, click that nice "x" in the top right corner and forget about my story, will ya? It's not so hard to do is it?

So for those who have no life, and like stomping on others - _Fancy Critic_ - you can stuff it.

But for those of you who would really want to get on with the story, I'm very sorry for you to have to read/skim/skip through all that. Please enjoy:)

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Sora leaned against the lockers and locked eyes with her. Kairi fidgeted and averted her gaze to the floor, wondering why he was there in the first place. What did he want from her? What was his problem anyway? The questions spoke volumes, but remained unspoken from her lips. She bit them to keep them from trembling under his scrutiny.

Without warning, she turned the other way and started down the hall away from Sora. Her old sneakers hit the ground quietly and were the only sounds in the hallway, but soon another pair of heavier and louder footfalls joined her gait. Her pace quickened and so did the one behind her.

Before she knew it, she was running down the hall, not caring where she went so long as _he_ wasn't there.

With only the slightest hint of acknowledgement through her run, Kairi's feet lead her to the art room. It was her only haven in the school besides the library and courtyard. And luckily, no one was there for it wasn't an elective period in this particular section of the building.

Kairi checked that Sora had not followed her up the stairs before turning the knob on the wooden door and slipping inside. She sighed silently and put her things on the nearest table.

"Kairi? What're you doing here?"

Kairi turned to meet her art teacher and smiled sheepishly. Miss Lulu stood behind her. She was a tall woman, and Kairi knew her to be strict only when the class got too rowdy, but otherwise, she was a very kind person to confine in. Miss Lulu also happened to be one of the few individuals in school who could understand sign language beside Miss Gainsborough, Miss Tifa, and Yuna.

Kairi signed a quick explanation, 'Sorry… I needed place to stay for now.'

Lulu quirked a slender eyebrow and shook her head with a small smile, "Alright, Kairi. Go ahead. What do you want to do?" Kairi smiled gratefully, 'Clay.'

"That's fine. If you want porcelain, remember to keep everything clean, no impurities. I moved it to the upper shelf in the backroom. Be careful when you get it."

Kairi nodded and headed towards the sink. She threw on an apron and tied back her hair in a messy bun. After rinsing her hands in soap and water and scrubbing her nails, she fished for a paper towel.

Grabbing a clean clay cutter, Kairi moved to the backroom and stood on a stool. The dim room made her squint as she fumbled among the moist packages of porcelain clay. Cutting a cube for herself, she wrapped the rest and shoved it back on the shelf. Hopping down, she kicked the stool back in place and left the cool humid room.

After setting up everything she needed to, Kairi sat down at the potter's wheel and began to shape the base. When she was satisfied, she took the clay cutter and cut the clay body from her base.

This wasn't going to take too long with her deft hands.

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Lulu poked her head around the supply shelves that separated the main art room from the potters' section. Lulu saw Kairi working silently with her back turned towards her. The young art teacher crossed the space and examined her student's work from behind.

A small female figure sat on a lump of moss-textured rocks. Her small angel wings were curled delicately on her back. She sat peering into the rippling water that formed on the base with her slender arms planted at her sides on the rocks. Her posture was soft, but her expression unreadable. For viewers, the lithe little angel gave off the hollow essence of loneliness that resided deeply within the heart of the artist.

Kairi's quick fingers were able to construct the raw image in a little less than an hour. The white colored clay was still moist from the smoothing that Kairi had to do, and the face had yet to be better defined along with the other details like clothing and hair. Lulu was speechless, but it wasn't the first time she was speechless.

Kairi hadn't acknowledged her presence yet.

Smiling softly, Lulu stepped away quietly and disappeared behind the shelves.

She was going to let Kairi finish till the next batch of students came and give her a pass to her next period. There was no sense in rushing the girl from her work.

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After the dismissal bell, Kairi ran to the lockers before anyone else and grabbed her things and stuffed them unceremoniously in her bag. She left her locker and ran to Yuna's to wait for her. They were to walk home to Yuna's today and Kairi wasn't supposed to go back to her stepparents.

It was all right, so long as the police don't go "check up" on Kairi's house. Her stepparents wouldn't mind so long as they weren't put into suspicion or arrested. So meanwhile, they wouldn't have to deal with Kairi so long as they had hold over her money.

This was perfect for Kairi anyway. Yuna's family didn't mind having her stay with them and said she was welcome for as long as ever. They loved Kairi and accepted her as family a long time ago. Nothing would change now, and Kairi's story only strengthened their love for her and her for them in her time of need.

Kairi watched as Yuna ran up to her panting.

"Sorry. Just late – there was a crowd. Ugh." She coughed, "Let's go home. You ready?"

Kairi smiled and nodded at her friend and together they left for home. They didn't even realize that two serious sky blue eyes staring after them as they walked down the stone steps of their school.

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A/N: That was really short. I haven't got much time and I'm might have update in between longer intervals. Damn it.

Sorry about my rudeness though. I'm writing this in the middle of the night and it's absolutely driving me mad! I couldn't go to sleep so I just decided to write so hopefully I'd fall asleep or something after a while. Apparently it didn't work… I'm tired but I can't sleep. Oh joy.

But it's fine. I'm going to start this new idea to get to know you guys. **Question of the Chapter** is where I ask the readers a question about them or other interests at the end of every chapter. It was just something I thought would be interesting. :) But it'll be stationed after all the replied reviews so just keep scrolling and read the response to your last review (if you sent one) and keep scrolling till you get there. We'll see how it goes.

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ImDreaming-x3 – Lol. Well, you'll see what happens!

Zanisha – Hey thanks! I'm glad my last chapter turned out okay! I had a major writer's block and was worried if it would sound cruddy. :) Till the next chapter!

AeRiSdOnO – I know it was so long since I got to update last time! I'm so sorry! But I'm really happy that this chapter turned out great instead of cliché! Thank you so much for your support through this story! You've always given me a positive view of myself and self-confidence! I really lack those things and I'm glad that you've been there to lift my spirits a lot!

Dynamis – Lol. That happens to me too. When I go on a sugar rampage, my mouth goes a zillion miles per hour. But since some of my friends have been around me for so long, they tend to understand anything I say. Don't worry, I speak your sugar rush language too. I can't always guarantee a quick update, but I'm constantly trying. ;)

classengurl – Yeah, I understand. I had the same problem getting stuck on my stories that I first put up on But I found a way through it after tons of tries and it might help you to keep a story till it's finished! Usually if I think I have a good idea, I don't write it right away. I give it a couple of days and if I feel that it's still fresh and I haven't forgotten about it, that's when I start writing and urging myself to the end while maintaining the inspiration. :) And it's good that you're writing your stories down on paper since if your inspiration leaves you and you feel that you still want to put it up, you'll have something to copy down from. Or you can do it the quick way and just jot notes down on the events of the story. Hopefully you can string them together and get a good sequential story down in the end! Good luck to you and you fics!

Sugacoated-Cherries - :) Glad you liked my story! I'm running out of time as of now (7/2/2004) and I need to speed up my responses. I'm not sure if I can email you personally whenever I update because I'm a "forgetter" too. :D And it's really hard for me. Just try to keep an eye out for my updates, k:)

MoonFlow-Kairi – Hey thanks a bunch! I'm glad that youd like to continue reading my story and not drop it. And I hate to tear the patience from people, so I'm really sorry! Though I think you're a patient person, I apologize for that update! Thanks for holding on!

Anime-Master7 – Hey again. Thanks, I'll try:)

Black-Rose72 – I'm trying, I'm trying! I know my updates can be long and all, but hang in there! Thanks for reading my stories though! It's great to see you in practically ever chapter I've written for KH:) Ttyl! Until next time!

The Six of Hearts – Hi 6H! Yeah I know. :) Sora reminded me of Tai in the beginning too. Tai Kamiya (Yagami), right? Both had the same spark for friendship and courage. And about your new fic… Is it Sokairi? It's just that I love that pairing and I don't tend read anything other.

Angel-Shellz – Hi! Thanks for commenting my story! I'm glad you like it. :) And about you question with fluff, Lemon, and Lime……………… Fluff means something really romantic or sweet. Lemon means… stories that include lots of human-touching interaction and blushes get together kind or thing. Lime's close to Lemon but only a bit more milder. Either way, I'm not really comfortable explaining it since I'm still young and don't like ugly thoughts. You could say I'm a bit immature, but that's me. I'm immature. :)

TotalREfan() – Yup. Sorry for the wait! Anyway, resolution and climax? Nope. Not yet! I'm planning for this story to be longer. I'm not sure how long, but it'll be a while till you see an end and even then, if I have a good idea, there may even be a sequel. :) However, I'm not willing to think ahead THAT far. :)

bom -bom -chika –chika – Yeah, I know Sora isn't a big meanie at all, but I just had to put it in as a part of my story. And to tell you what I think, I thought he was really mean at first (in this fic), that it even made me uneasy while I wrote the first few chapters. :) Thanks for your support!

Ravenki – Hey thanks! The song you suggested gave me a great idea to help me out on this fic (another little writer's block). I was having a little trouble on contemplating what Sora would think about the situation. I see what I can do!

zilly – Hiya! Long time no talk. :) And to answer your review… You'll see:D

heather() – Lol. Sorry about all the waits, but I'm really busy. I just got back from Hawaii today and I have a quite a jetlag (sp?). Plus I'm not gonna be home from the beginning of next week till who knows when and I have barely finished the summer hw I get from school, Chinese school, my parents, and the John Hopkins CTY. Please be patient! And… I think you called me a dude… I'm actually a "dudette". :)

Korky, Ann, Heather() – Please read my author's note at the beginning OR end of my chapters, okay? My writing life here on isn't exactly my first priority and I'm already trying to kick in an update once in a while. Just – please be patient.

slivers7() – Hey thanks for popping in! I'm not entirely thrilled that it's one in the morning as I'm answering your review and that other people are demanding updates, but it's great seeing you again! Either it's me or the fact that I'm half asleep but, I didn't really follow what you said… Anyway, please be patient too! I'm trying to write and live my life at the same time so it's pretty difficult juggling my spare moments even if it is summer. Hope to hear from you later!

darkreality11 – Hi! Thanks! There's very S/K readers and writers out there compared to all the S/R people. Thanks for coming by! If you read this chapter, I hope you like it. :)

Daggerly – :) Thanks! I'll try to updated as soon as I can, k?

Sakura Tear Drops – Thanks! I'll try!

paopu-cat - :) Sowwy! I was busy! And I suppose this is another long update huh? I was gone for three weeks. Hope ta seeya soon!

FF7-CloudStrife – Thanks for your encouragement. :) I'm sure that some people are feeling quite uneasy with the depression, but I've got everything pretty much planned as of now. Hope you all can hang on long enough!

The Shadow Of Sora – Please know that I'm really trying my best here! I've been gone for a while so…………… Ugh. Anyway, there will be more Sokairi.

mwhaha – Umm, that's nice. :)

Outlawgirl - Cliffies are MEANT to be evil!!! –cackles- j/k. Hope ya liked this chapter!!!

SoranKairiForever!!() – Thanks! I'll try to update soon!

Risako – Yep! Thanks for your consideration! I'm trying to update this fic more frequently, but I'm also trying to update my other one. I kinda rotate so I don't forget to update either one………… but thanks for dropping by to read it! I'm glad you like it, Risako: )

King Riku() – Hey thanks! Well, I feel really flattered, but I think you'd probablylike to read some KH fics that can be found in my favs. : ) But there's this one story that I can read over and over again by TiredAnii (she used to be called Aniiston). The story's called "Maiselph"; though I'm not sure why she named it that, but it truly is a great story! Check it out too!

SoranKairiForever!! – Thanks, I will. :-)

Tohrue – Haha. Hey Tohrue. Long time no see. :3 After a couple of stupid emails from certain people, I couldn't bring myself to update for a while I thought to write a bit of something else other than KH to help me keep track of my writing. Glad you like this story and good luck with your own stories too! I really like your high school fic.

Risako - :-) Thanks for being supportive. I doubt myself occasionally, and hearing that helps a lot! Hope to see you around then!

King Riku – Sorry! I'm really sorry… I was kinda put down for a while when I was sent some nasty emails and review(s). I'll try not to have an ear for those comments, but hey, I'm human as well.

Cara - …. Kairi is being abused, and it's quite true about the pain in all honesty. It sounds horrible and it is. Child abuse or any other abuse can be extremely ugly.

Chu – Don't worry, I didn't stop. See:-)

Ichigo Engine – Lol. Here I am then. I hope this was okay. It's gonna take me a while to get my full inspiration back. Hate flamers. They attack ppl's self-esteem a lot.

Kerricarri – Yeah, I'm sorry about all the space it's taking up. I'm trying to see if there's a way to save space. :p It'll work out somehow. And the story's pretty much strung in my mind, but I still have a while to go since I need to put everything into words:-)

Khdreamer – Umm…. Did I do something wrong? –sheepish-

Ivana - -sweatdrop- Kairi's mute….

AnnoyingNavi – Glad you like this story. I feel bad for Kairi too, but….

Nhi-chan – I know what you mean. The whole textbooks and ruining of Kairi's things are actually based on things that happened to me before. School can be such a bummer sometimes.

??????? – lol. Hope you like this chapter then.

DestinyIntertwined – Yes, yes! I'm very much alive! More SK scenes? You'll just have to see….

inu-hiei – Wow…. Seems like it must have been hell. But at least you had something to do during that time. :-)

LovelyMelody – Yeah, I know what you mean. It crushed me when my things were destroyed like that at school. Many pieces of this story are based on what actually happened.

Litwolf689 – If Sora and Kairi and set-aside differences, they should. But right now, Sora's feeling more sympathy than anything else so it may take a few build-up moments a.k.a. fluff to bring them together!

Leree – Hope this is slightly satisfying. :D

Twilight Tear – Yeah, I'm really sorry about the wait, but hopefully this chapter should be okay for a while. I need to build up my inspiration again since certain people like to knock it down so often. Ugh.

kenshin44 – Yeah, Yeah, I know! I got my ass kicked already! I just needed your last boot to boot me into continuing. Lol.

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_Flamers' Zone:_

Fancy Critic – I wrote this for my own pleasure, so frankly, flames like yours won't discourage me from continuing. Receiving such a pathetic attempt at constructive criticism from you was something I expected less dignified people would do. But, I suppose you do fall under that category. Look, pal. If you don't like it, don't read it. _It's that simple._ And don't attack my readers. They didn't do anything to you, so why the hell are you flaming them too? You can flame my story all you want, but don't go dragging other people in by the ankles. You're not a plow mule - or are you?

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**Question of the Day**

Who's your favorite character from Japanese anime, games, manga, or the like? And why?

_My answer: _

I admit that's kind of tough for me to answer. I have a lot of them. But I'd probably pick Van Fanel, but it's a draw between Kohaku from Spirited Away, and Gentatsu Takatsuki from Rurouni Kenshin. Van is from the series, Escaflowne. He's got a strong character and somehow, his dark nature drew me to him. Though he was dressed and built differently in the movie, it didn't change him too much, but his secretive persona made me curious. :)

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	9. Knowing is Believing

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Chapter 9

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Author: Kintora

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A/N: Wow, thanks for all the great support everyone! I wish I could say more, but words can't really explain how great my appreciation is for you all. I'll definitely try to gain back all my inspiration, no matter how long. I just hope everyone will try to wait for me to kick it back into gear again.

Don't forget about the QUESTION OF THE CHAPTER at the end of the reviwer's section. Feel free with your answers, so if you don't want to answer, it's ok. I won't bite. –winks-

But anyway, I love you all a lot! Please enjoy this chapter! I hope it will be better than the last. ;-)

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The next few days were full of changes. Some were good and some bad. But one thing was for sure; she didn't know what to think of them. Odd, but her thoughts were just.

Sora and his gang seemed to be leaving her alone lately. It seemed as if they were almost told to lay-off on her. But Kairi could still hear Wakka, Selphie and Rikku saying some mean things about her behind her back. Riku kept his distance more than usual to observe everything from afar, but Sora and Tidus were two different stories.

Two very different stories from their previous selves.

Tidus seemed to start splitting his loyalties much to the distastes of a few of his friends. He had begun to eat lunch with Yuna and Kairi, though it was mainly to talk with Yuna. But still…. Once, he even defended Kairi from some remarks made by other students about her thick clothing.

Kairi had a feeling he knew why she wore such clothing for he never asked why. She suspected Yuna had said something, but it seemed all right for he never spoke a word to anybody else about IT.

Sora had also changed. At times when he thought Kairi wouldn't notice, he would watch her and watch the people around her like some distant guardian or something. No one dared to trip her in the halls, no one dared to pull a trick, and no one even thought about hurting her. Sora made sure of that, and made sure to make an example of anybody who did.

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Speaking of which, the kid's pink boxers were probably still hanging on the flagpole outside, all that for flipping green peas at Kairi during lunch.

Sora wanted to know why he was being so nice to her. Honestly, he did. Yes, he felt bad about picking on her in the past and really regretted it now. Not that he showed it on the outside.

But he felt kind of stupid. He definitely pitied her and he knew it wasn't entirely a good thing. One, it made him feel really soft on the inside, which he'd like to think he wasn't. Two, she'd probably not like it either.

Just what kind of person was he turning into anyway?

Since when the hell did he care about her feelings?

Her and her damned feelings –

Her and her pain-filled, tearful eyes –

Her and her undesired silence –

Nowadays, everything was 'her', 'her', 'HER'!

He felt a bit frustrated with himself. What was he feeling? Was it pity or care? Could it be both?

But back to the question… If he was pitying or caring about her… The hell did he prank on her in the past?

He could remember one thing, and it was something he'd never admit to completely, even to himself. Without actually coming out and saying it, he thought of it this way.

Why did boys and girls bully each other when they were little? One reason could be that they really did hate each other. The other could be because they were trying to conceal a secret – therefore making the most obvious, opposite point of the secret.

But when did childhood admiration turn into pushing her to the brink?

Ever since she stopped talking, he saw it as an opportunity to express the opposite truth. He didn't know why or how she became mute, but it was his opportunity no less. He was going to be completely opposite of her and stand out.

Well, it worked. Sort of.

Back to the point though.

He still didn't care enough to try conversing to her. When they passed in the halls, Kairi would feel a tight anticipation of his becomingly new presence. She tried to approach him once or twice, but without a voice… Well, it would be strange to tap him on the shoulder out of nowhere…

Umm… right?

And what if he just didn't want to talk to her? His attitude seemed to broadcast that already.

Kairi was heading up to art room 602. This time, it was not for and escape, it was to help out for the art festivities in the fair. Now that she had time after school since she no longer needed to worry about her stepparents for the time being, she went up there almost every day with Yuna. Today though, Yuna said she had to run a lab paper by Miss Gainsborough so she'd be late.

"I don't know how long it'll take, so do as much as you can, all right? I promise I'll meet up with you around five so stay there and don't go anywhere else I can't find you later," Kairi recalled her brunette friend saying before she ran off.

Pushing past the door, Kairi stuffed her bag away and stripped off the comfy sweater Yuna had lent her that morning. The petite girl rolled her shoulders and stretched, feeling content to have the whole art room to herself.

During Kairi's elective period today, Miss Lulu had trusted her the keys, saying, "I've got a date tonight to catch so I'm not going to be in the room helping after school. Just remember to double check all the clay supplies and pieces, then lock up. I'll know if you don't, ohohohoho!" Had those erupting black flames behind Miss Lulu been Kairi's imagination? Kairi felt a sweat drop run down the side of her head when she thought about it. Nope, it had to be her imagination.

Kairi threw on her apron after cleansing her hands and pulled out a bag full of fresh wet clay that she had recycled in the machine the day before. Grabbing a chunk the size of her head, she closed the bag with one hand and began to rams-horn wedge the air bubbles from the terracotta.

In a few minutes, she set the now rectangle looking clay onto the potter's wheel between her knees and began to mold the spinning piece of terracotta. The moist clay began to dry, so she dabbed a yellow sponge into the bucket of water beside her and rewet it. The clay slid smoothly beneath the wet seasoned tips of her fingers as she worked. The feeling never failed to bring comfort to her as she concentrated.

Her pale hand reached into the opening she created from above and dove down along the side to widen the lip. This went on for some time until Kairi was satisfied. Then she scalloped the lip in a wide manner until it resembled something like a raw blooming flower.

Just as she was cleaning up the base, Kairi heard footsteps outside of the classroom. She looked up at the clock on the wall as it read 5:15 in its digital numbers. Kairi pulled the clay cutter from under the raw bowl and pushed in her stool before standing with her new pot to set on the drying rack. Grabbing the plastic bag full of untouched clay, Kairi shoved it back on the shelf in the humid storage room.

When she came out, she was smiling, expecting to see Yuna's cheery face pop in or something. But nobody came in. Kairi thought to herself, 'Yuna did say around five, right?' The redhead shrugged, dismissing the footsteps and cleaning up the rest of her area, Kairi checked everything over before grabbing her things.

It was warm today, so she decided to tie Yuna's sweater around her waist instead of wearing it. Kairi straightened the grey tank top and fixed the denim shorts she was wearing today and lifted her bag onto her shoulders.

Kairi came clear of the doorway and pulled out the jingling keys from her pocket to lock up. She even had to squint to find the lock hole since all of the hall's lights except one were turned off for the night. And besides, this particular wing didn't have windows anyway.

Kairi sat outside of the art room, waiting for Yuna. She didn't stray from Yuna's directions about staying put for the school was huge and it was hard to intercept people. Kairi sat with her knees bent to her chest as she twiddled her thumbs under her chin. She sat there looking up at the shadows cast on the ceiling, deep in thought.

She remembered how their eyes had met during the day. Somehow, she knew he was having a hard time meeting her eyes. But when she had caught him look over at her in class, she wondered if she saw pity. She would have hated that, but at least it would have shown that he really did have a heart tucked somewhere inside his stone cold chest.

After class when he turned the corner and their eyes met one last time until he disappeared, one idle thought crossed her mind in that instant.

'Maybe… maybe he's not so bad after all.' 

Kairi shook her head in the present though. He could be fooling her still! It was most definitely pity, she assured herself. Before, he had no reason to be nice to her and his reasons never betrayed his actions. But now… Ever since he heard about her abuse, he'd laden back as well as pushed everyone back in the mean time too. It was pity.

Kairi's red brow crinkled at her reasoning. She didn't like it, but it was the most possible.

Suddenly, the footfalls came back and she froze. It didn't sound like Yuna's feet. What was taking that girl anyway?

Kairi stood up; ready to confront whomever was in the hallway. But the instant she got up, she turned right around to try and head back into the room as fast as she could.

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Question of the Chapter:

If you have had, or want a boyfriend/girlfriend, what traits would you want in them? Why? (These traits that you decide to pick can be based on personality, or physical looks, it doesn't matter. :-) If you just don't want to answer, don't worry about it.)

My Answer: I don't have a boyfriend and I wasn't thinking about it till just now when I wrote the question. But if I'd like one, I'd want someone who's trustworthy. He should have a good sense of right and wrong, but at the same time, know how to deal with other people by not being too rash with his words. Also, I'd be glad if he's got my ideal look for him, and is smart and witty. He should also be good at making decisions and being brave with a devoted persona. :)

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Thanks to my reviewers: Lil'pineapple , AeRiSdOnO , RuinsofTikal , hUeS -of- h a z e l , sakurakairi , RETARDcupcake , Eternal Memories , Litwolf689 , totalREfan , Ichigo Engine , carbuncle , BattleAngelKurumi , KairiLuv , Risako , Hyuuga Sakura , RayMariahFan , Xarli , paopu-cat , One Crazy Fox , Heart of Dreams , Writes the Rapture , whisperonthewind , Neassa , Fanatic , HakushoRurouni , thesrazrbladekisses , The Six of Hearts , deludedfreak , Rice-Ball247 , annoyingNavi , erik , Kairi's #1 fan , Angel-Shellz , AngelKairi , Inu-KagomeFan , frozen-eclipse , Absh , Kitty-Magic00 , Aquamarine Shadow , Nicola , Terri , Sora's GuardianAngel , KatarasHomegirl , Nirvana44 , Maemi-chan .

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	10. Revelations about Kairi

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Chapter 10

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Author: Kintora

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A/N: Huh… It's been a while, hasn't it? Sorry about the wait.

(holds up a fire engine red _**STOP**_ sign)

**Here's how it's going to go now, so I want you guys to read this. **

Thank you those of you who have contributed Funny Additions to WLBAOE, but I've decided to replaced that now with Question of the Chapter like this story. It seems that ideas are getting really out of hand – and I don't wish to lose characters' images towards the readers. There's just been too much character abuse from what I'm getting lately. Maybe I should have saved the Funny Addition idea for a comical piece, so that was my mistake. I'll remember to remind everyone in the next chapter I post for When Love Blooms At Opposite Ends. But still, thank you to contributors.

And for those who understood my message above, and just want this story to get the hell on the move, be my guest. :D (steps to the side)

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_(Previous Chapter)_

_Suddenly, the footfalls came back and she froze. It didn't sound like Yuna's feet. What was taking that girl anyway? _

_Kairi stood up; ready to confront whomever was in the hallway. But the instant she got up, she turned right around to try and head back into the room as fast as she could._

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Kairi fumbled hastily with the room's keys, her hands shook clumsily and she almost dropped them at one time. The footsteps sounded more sure now and marched their way quickly towards her. She panicked, feeling her blood close to bursting in her veins as cold sweat poured down the sides of her neck. Finding the right key through all the jingling mess, she shoved it into the keyhole and pushed her shoulder against the wooden door at the same time, promptly falling in.

Scrambling to her feet, she turned around just in time to see a shadow fall a few from her toes. Jumping up, she slammed the door in the person's face and turned the lock, finally hearing the satisfying click of the mechanisms locking the door. Someone was slamming against the outside now, and Kairi was too startled and freaked out of her mind to inch anywhere near the door for the light switch.

"KAIRI, I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE AND YOU BETTER GODDAMN OPEN THIS DOOR!" a man's voice yelled almost drunkenly.

Kairi paled to an almost white color. Holy crap! That was her stepfather! How the hell did he get into the school? She shivered and retrieved the white sweater from her waist and threw it over her head, pulling it down.

Her brain struggled to think of a way out as she inched through the dark room. She tried to ignore the sudden ramming sounds and the groan of the wooden door. It was new and should last, but just in case, Kairi headed to a nearby table and grabbed a high-back chair that she knew would be there. Bringing it over to the shuddering door, she wedged the back of the chair under the handle and propped the front legs up so that on the back legs stood jamming into the ground.

She tried to calm down. There was a lock, a door, and a chair keeping her from the crazy and probably drunken man. She was sure it would last and bide her time to find a way out. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew Lulu was going to burn whoever ruined her furniture. But right now, Kairi moved around the room, mapping everything out in her head.

Okay, there were windows leading outside, but she couldn't remember if there were trees to climb. She was a good climber, and even if she did fall – hey, how different would it be from her tree facing her window back at her house? The method of sneaking out by scaling trees was practically natural to her now.

There was no cell phone. She never had one, and frankly, it'd be useless on her. One, she had no way to talk into it. And two, she could proudly say that she had the worst keyboard dexterity in the whole world, despite being a good artist. What difference would it be to have a phone. And last? Well, she could never afford it.

She knew Lulu had a school phone on the desk with an office pager, but what good would that do for her? She's mute and blind in this room, and nobody would be working late. It's Friday.

She prayed for Yevon and all the other gods and goddesses imaginable to find a way out. Speaking of Yevon…. Kairi berated herself for forgetting Yuna. What would happen if she decided to show up NOW while was her crazy step dad was trying to rampage the door? No doubt he'd rampage her instead the instant he sees her! Kairi bit her lip. Yuna would be as worried about her as she was about Yuna right now. If Yuna sensed she was in danger, Kairi didn't think Yuna would turn her tail and run. She'd stand and fight.

Kairi's teeth gnawed at her lip till it became numb. She had to do something.

Kairi found the window, but as known, the night shadowed everything in its dark cloak and nothing outside gave away an escape. All the parking lot lights were on the other side of the school since the art room faced the courtyard. Aw, DAMN her luck! She was growing angry and was considering whether to break down the window or not and jump out to see for herself.

Then she thought about how stupid she was being and reconsidered. But the idea stayed and kindled thought after thought. She moved over to one of the cleaning supply closets and found the iron brush and panhandle. She took the pan since it was considerably larger and heavier, but easy to wield whether for cleaning or crazy-stepfather bashing. She knew she was probably going to be faced with assault later, but the thing is her life was on the line right now.

Picking up her book bag that she had dropped, she moved slowly towards the door. The door seemed close to heaving and the chair was rattling now too. She made sure to tuck Lulu's keys into her jean pocket in case she would need it later. Her heart pounded in her ears, throbbing in her chest, and her blood coursed through like white-hot lava. Every muscle in her body was tensed and read to spring the instant she unlocked the door. She nudged the chair slightly out of the way with her foot.

Good chair, no squeaking, her scattered mind thought. No squeaking.

Her hand felt numb as she reached over and unlocked the lock. Her back was pressed straight and stiff against the wall beside the door, and she could only pray that he would not look her way first when he came in. With her mind in turmoil, Kairi could only wish that she knew how to vanish into thin air as she waited in the baited moment.

The continuous tumult against the door seemed to have stopped when her stepfather realized that the door was suddenly unlocked since the last time he had yanked the knob. Kairi prepared herself and her dustpan as she waited for him to come in. The door opened as if testing its verity of having unlocked itself. Kairi suddenly stopped breathing and waited.

And waited. But no one seemed to be coming through.

Suddenly, a hand reached in before Kairi could even blink and somehow found her throat. If she could, she would have already screamed the whole school down. She was pulled and thrown from the room and just narrowly avoided hitting the wall before her. Stumbling, she caught herself and saw her stepfather lunge for her in the corner of her eye. Dodging and rolling out of the way, Kairi pulled herself up in time to see him stumble and look around for her.

Her blood surged in her veins and she was overcome with an anger she couldn't control. Before she knew it, she swung the iron dustpan down like a baseball bat, and it cracked against the back of her stepfather's skull. He collapsed just a few inches from her feet, before she had the nerve to recoil from him.

But he lay still and lifeless as if he'd never yell a single word at her or smack her around the house again. A part of her wondered mildly if he was really dead, and rejoiced silently. The other part of her wondered why she never decided to get rid of him in the first place.

Then the idea that she might have actually killed him, scared her into starting again. She killed him? Did she really? Now what? She'll be thrown into prison! She'll disgrace herself before Yuna and her family. She'd have taken their kindness all for nothing if she shunned them. Her heart seemed like it would never stop pounding in her chest as she bent forward cautiously to see if the man was still alive.

He seemed to have lost his breath and was breathing very shallowly. Good, that meant he wasn't dead. And there was no blood, so the edge of the dustpan probably didn't manage to cut straight into his skull with the force that she used. But by the looks of his rapidly moving then stilling eyelids, she must have given him a concussion of a sort.

Kairi dropped the iron dustpan that she had used, the metal clacking loudly against the tiles on the floor. Now that she didn't have to worry about his being dead, she went back to mulling over why she hadn't killed him, but shuddered at what her tarnished mind made her imagine.

Sighing her silent sigh, Kairi hurried down the hall where she thought she might just meet up with Yuna. And to her great luck this time, she did.

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The ambulance and police outside the school had just arrived and their blaring sirens still echoed painfully in Kairi's ears as she watched a squad of police with the ambulance team head quickly into the school. Seeing the white stretcher disappear inside, Yuna led Kairi to a nearby bench out in the schoolyard and sat the both of them down. Yuna had a comforting arm around Kairi's shoulders. Suddenly, the brunette turned and hugged Kairi hard. She seemed close to tears and Kairi found herself nearly crying too. What a crazy day it's been.

"I'm so sorry Kairi! I should have been there sooner," Yuna muttered. Kairi could feel her shaking in her arms.

Deciding not to say anything. Kairi just held her friend. Everything that happened to her tonight had shaken her even more. So much more, that she couldn't even shake. All she could feel was the numb throbbing of her lip where she bit it too hard and the searing memory of the man's grip on her throat. Everything blurred in her mind as if having been churned by a blender and was just slowly settling down again.

Two officers walked over to them; one of them carrying a notebook in the regular dark police suit, and the other wearing a navy windbreaker and had a round belly poking through it. Kairi tapped Yuna nervously on the shoulder, and the girl slowly rose, noticing the officers. Yuna wiped her eyes and stood up, with Kairi at her side, as silent as ever.

As the officers came to a stop before them, the one with the notebook asked, "May we have a few question answered ladies?" He seemed polite enough and Kairi nodded. Yuna gave her consent, "Sure."

"Are you the Miss who phoned?" Kairi decided to name this one Mr. Belly.

The redhead was silent, and could only shake her head. Yuna put a hand on Kairi's shoulder, "I phoned, but Kairi here was the one who was attacked."

Mr. Notebook, as Kairi dubbed him, jotted things down as they spoke, "So you are Miss Yuna Lesca? So this is…" He looked expectantly at Kairi.

Kairi in turn flushed. She hated it when people forced her to use sign language. She was really bad at it and couldn't communicate with complete fluency when using it. She kept her answer short, motioning with her hands, 'Kishimoto, Kairi.'

The officers gave her a dumb look before looking at each other confusedly. Kairi felt stupid, but stood waiting. Finally Yuna asked, "Am I allowed to answer for her?"

"I'm sorry Miss Lesca, but we need primary source information," Mr. Notebook replied sheepishly.

Kairi suddenly had an idea, and tugged on Yuna's sleeve. She pointed to Mr. Notebook's notepad and pretended to write on her hand before smiling, as if asking if it would be okay. Mr. Notebook seemed to understand and handed over his pad and pen to Kairi. Kairi decided he was gentlemanly enough and wrote quickly: _Ask me any question you may have for me by writing on the paper. I'll answer each one. Is that okay?_

The man read her message and nodded, smiling understandingly to her. Mr. Belly looked over Mr. Notebook's shoulder as he wrote his question and passed the book back to Kairi.

What's your name?

_Kishimoto, Kairi._

Are you student here at Destiny High?

_Yes, I'm a sophomore this year. I'm fifteen in case you wanted to ask._

Okay, thank you. So who are your parents or guardians?

_My real parents died several years ago when I was younger. I now live with my adoptive parents But their names are Barry and Cara Burns._

Do you know who your attacker is?

_Barry Burns._

Your stepfather? How did it happen? Why are you at school so late?

_Yes, my stepfather. I don't know how it happened or how he even got into school, but I was working late in the art room for the New Year's Festival coming up at the end of the month. I had just come out, locking down the art room when I finished and was waiting for my friend Yuna to come by and pick me up. Yuna was with Miss Gainsborough, checking over a lab paper. Miss Gainsborough is our science teacher._

_My stepfather attacked me so I went back into the room and locked it I order to plan an escape. I couldn't get out through the window so I resorted to defending myself. The iron dustpan I used should be in the hall where the art room is located._

Is Miss Gainsborough still inside? How about your art teacher?

_I'm not sure about Miss. Gainsborough, but if you want to know, you're going to have to ask Yuna. Miss Lulu, wasn't available tonight, so she entrusted me with the keys, knowing I had some ceramics to work out tonight._

All right. I'll have to interview these teachers and your friend to make sure your story checks out. In the mean time, where are you staying?

_I'm staying with Mr. and Mrs. Lesca at their home._

Will you be returning to your adoptive parents home? They are your legal guardians…

_They may be legal, but I like staying at Yuna's home better. _

Can you specify "better"?

_May we discuss these kinds of questions somewhere else - t the station, with Yuna's family? Everything's just been very overwhelming lately and I need my family with me._

Mr. Notebook reluctantly nodded, and put away his paper pad as Kairi returned his pen back to him with a nod of thanks. She sat down with Yuna on the bench as the brunette got off the phone. Yuna sighed and tucked her phone into the folds of her warm coat. "My parents are coming. They were heading out the door with the triplets when I got off the phone with them. They'll be here shortly."

'Yuna… I'm very sorry.' Kairi motioned with her hands dully, a shadow stretched over her face making Kairi look very tired and worried.

"Don't be," Yuna said, patting lightly on Kairi's slouching back, "Maybe this night has opened a chance for us to clear things up once and for all. Right now, you need people around you. Mom and Dad don't mind at all either."

'Why has it come to this?' Kairi asked absently.

Yuna rubbed her back comfortingly, "Things just have to happen the way they do. You can't go on ignoring everything and running away, right? You're not like that if I know you at all, and if there's anything that can help you that would be faith, trust, and pixie dust!"

That made Kairi giggle for the first time that night, remembering their old mantra. It was always something they used to say when they were in elementary school, trusting that those words would give them the courage to move on.

Of course… Kairi had almost forgotten all that in the past few years when her parents moved on. Everyone seemed to keep growing, except for her. She couldn't run away to the future, since she had no idea about what was in store for her. But she couldn't stay in the present – she was running away from it. The only place she could ever seek solace was in her past before the accident and the life that was now.

But a part of her wanted to let go of Yuna and her family, at least, the selfless part of her. Kairi feared that her static status in life would slow those around her too. It made her shy away from others, making her appear more distant, even weird to the rest of the students. Yuna's family loved her for who she was when she was little, that sweet and caring girl who loved the world under the yellow sun. If they were to truly see who she had become, they too would probably want to stay away from her too, right?

So who was she really? Was she the detached and unsocial teen, or the child with a heart of gold?

The sound of a mini van pulling up caught Kairi's attention as she looked up to see the Lescas clambering out of the car. Zack, Zell, and Zidane ran around, gapping at the flashing police and ambulance lights not having been so close to them before. Mr. and Mrs. Lesca rounded them up quickly though and made their way to where Yuna and Kairi waited.

Braska panted as he kept two of his sons from squirming away, and Aore stood with Zidane's hand in hers. Both of Yuna's parents jumped at the question, "What exactly is going on?!"

Kairi and Yuna looked at each other. Yuna was about to say something when Mr. Notebook and Mr. Belly came back to talk with them. Mr. Belly asked, "You're Mr. and Mrs. Lesca, we presume?"

Zack, Zell, and Zidane gapped at the officers, and Zell ran up to Mr. Belly. The little blonde boy puffed out his small chest and asked as seriously as possible while his brothers snickered, "Sir, do you police people _really_ eat as many donuts as the TV says?"

Everyone fought down a laugh, including Mr. Notebook, but Mr. Belly seemed unamused and coughed making his round belly heave, "Not quite, sonny." Zack, Zell, and Zidane could only crack up even more.

Mr. Notebook wiped a few tears from his eyes and spoke to the Lescas with a poorly contained smile on his face, "Ahem, well. We're going to need you all to follow our police car to the station quartered in town. We'll ask more--- "

He was cut off by a loud yell coming from the school building's entrance. Kairi jumped and backed away instinctively. She stopped herself and steeled her feet against her racing heart. She lowered her head, clutching a hand to her chest.

"WHERE'S THAT GIRL! IT'S ALL HER FAULT, THAT UNGRATFUL LITTLE BIT---!" Luckily, the ambulance was nearby and Barry Burns was stowed away into it as three police cars followed the ambulance as it drove towards the hospital.

Kairi breathed hard and ran a clammy hand through her red auburn locks. Somehow, hearing his voice again made her start as if thunder had crashed her system. The officers and Yuna's family looked at her sympathetically, before agreeing to meet up at the police station.

As Kairi watched the night scenery roll past, the lamp light outside glinting off the dark windows, her mind slowed and her head felt watery, like someone had turned on the faucets of endless thoughts and was drowning her in her own mind. She wondered, besides Yuna's family, and whoever witnessed her stepfather's drunken outbursts –

Who else would want to lend her a hand in this sea of mess? The mess, that was her life…

Despite all the help she had now, she wished her parents were still alive. More than anything now, she wanted them back. None of this would have happened had they not died.

Or if she had died with them, none of this would have happened either. She would probably be with them, her heart connected to theirs.

She would not feel the emptiness a child feels without his or her parents.

Fate, she thought suddenly, if it weren't for fate, I could have been normal.

When would things be normal again?

She closed her violet eyes listening to the hum of the car's engine continue. Her breathing became deeper and slower as she sank into the cushioned seat. Through her exhaustion, Kairi found an outlet for the night – sleep.

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A/N: It's a bit of a melancholy chapter, but it helps explain a few things about Kairi. So far, I had only been concentrating on what had been going on at school, and not on her deeper feelings on her thoughts of family. You're all probably thinking, "Who cares? More Kairi and Sora!"

Some of you at least… But I need some insight on Kairi's character in order to write her for later chapters, just as I needed a basis line for Sora last chapter as to why he picked up on bullying Kairi when they were little. Now that there's a purpose, new roads for resolving their problems are opening up and intertwining together. That's my job to write it out, so leave it to me! Things will really start to heat up next time.

PS. CHANGE OF PLANS FOR REVIEW RESPONSES!!! I've decided that what the heck, I'll use the Private Messaging system for review replies. I think that will make some of you happier than having to wait after every chapter for the next to roll around in order to check out some responses. I'm sorry to some Anonymous people that I can't get to. Later!

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Question of the Chapter:

If someone asked you to pick two of the three animals from a pet store, what would you chose? Don't forget to answer why!

1. A tarantula.

2. A parakeet.

3. A monkey.

My answer: A parakeet and a monkey. Why? I don't need furry spider in my room to watch me as I dress every morning. Yes, I know someone who has a tarantula. And. IT. Watches. People. With those freaky eight eyes while flexing its fangs. I shudder to even think of one.

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Thanks to my reviewers: thesrazrbladekisses , AeRiSdOnO , Heart of Dreams , f.e.e.l in t.e.a.r.s , Gippal the Pimp , :-D , Iridaceae , Angel-Shellz , AngelKairi , Anony-mouse , RuinsofTikal , paopu-cat , Raccoon48 , Tohrue , KatarasHomegirl , HatakeSanuka , Kira-Kirah , Chibi Neko-Chan2 , annoyingNavi , SakuraAngel6761 , The Six of Hearts , KhanomAna , Unhappy Person , Sora's GuardianAngel , haruka-chan87 , ScReAmofaBrOkEnAnGeL , Here4TheParty , PrincessKairi101 , Lily of the River , kairi's1 fan / kairi101 , darkwing13 .

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	11. Revelations about Sora

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Chapter 11

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Author: Kintora

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A/N: Happy Valentine's Day!

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_(Previous Chapter)_

"_WHERE'S THAT GIRL! IT'S ALL HER FAULT, THAT UNGRATFUL LITTLE BIT---!" Luckily, the ambulance was nearby and Barry Burns was stowed away into it as three police cars followed the ambulance as it drove towards the hospital._

_Kairi breathed hard and ran a clammy hand through her red auburn locks. Somehow, hearing his voice again made her start as if thunder had crashed her system. The officers and Yuna's family looked at her sympathetically, before agreeing to meet up at the police station._

_As Kairi watched the night scenery roll past, the lamp light outside glinting off the dark windows, her mind slowed and her head felt watery, like someone had turned on the faucets of endless thoughts and was drowning her in her own mind. She wondered, besides Yuna's family, and whoever witnessed her stepfather's drunken outbursts – _

_Who else would want to lend her a hand in this sea of mess? The mess, that was her life…_

_Despite all the help she had now, she wished her parents were still alive. More than anything now, she wanted them back. None of this would have happened had they not died._

_Or if she had died with them, none of this would have happened either. She would probably be with them, her heart connected to theirs. _

_She would not feel the emptiness a child feels without his or her parents._

_Fate, she thought suddenly, if it weren't for fate, I could have been normal._

_When would things be normal again? _

_She closed her violet eyes listening to the hum of the car's engine continue. Her breathing became deeper and slower as she sank into the cushioned seat. Through her exhaustion, Kairi found an outlet for the night – sleep._

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Kairi decided that she was actually very lucky. With Yuna's family as her support, the police led her into the building. Yuna and her family were told to wait as Kairi had to be interrogated on her own. The interrogator herself was a very nice woman called Mrs. Risado, whom was patient and directed the conversation patiently. She looked young without visible wrinkles, but everything about her made her look middle aged. Her clear blue eyes looked a little familiar, though Kairi really couldn't place her finger on it.

At first, Kairi didn't want to let her in on much, but the woman pressed gently, spending time to carefully talk her out of her shell. Eventually, Kairi became more vivacious with her writing and the whole story came out.

She worried most that her stepfather would be let out of jail, but Mrs. Risado assured her that they would try their best to put him behind bars. In the middle of the conversation, another investigator came into the stuffy room to let them know that Kairi's stepmother was taken into custody as well.

Kairi looked worriedly at Mrs. Risado, but the woman only flicked her brown hair behind her shoulder and smiled at her, "It's okay, Kairi. Cara Burns can't touch you while you're here with us."

Almost hesitantly, Kairi picked up the pencil as Mrs. Risado continued her questions.

"You told me you're living with your friend Yuna and her family. Are they kind to you?"

Kairi nodded profusely. She almost opened her mouth to speak, to defend her friend from any accusations but remembered that she couldn't. Scribbling down her thoughts, Kairi depicted exactly how kind and generous Yuna's family was to her. After all, this was all going down for the record. Mrs. Risado smiled and nodded understandingly, "I'm glad. I need to ask you though… besides Yuna, who are your other friends?"

Kairi looked hard at the paper before her before jotting down 'nobody' for her answer and adding 'why?' at the end.

Mrs. Risado's blue eyes seemed to soften, "I noticed you kept bringing up Yuna's name, but you never talked about anybody else."

Kairi replied pointedly, 'Only the teachers are nice. Most of the kids either ignore or make fun of me.'

"I know I'm pushing my limits here, but do you mind if we talk more about it?"

Kairi looked into Mrs. Risado's honest gaze. The woman hadn't ventured into anything too uncomfortable for her and she didn't push her despite the situation. Kairi knew Mrs. Risado was probably only doing this as it was he job, but she couldn't figure out how this was relevant to the issue between her stepparents and herself. Kairi nodded slightly to give her consent.

"How long have you been bullied?"

Kairi thought for a while, not really sure herself. She couldn't remember ever having many friends before and didn't know exactly where the line between "not many friends" and "no friends" blurred. She guessed around kindergarten, a little after the accident.

"Would you like to give names?"

Kairi shook her head, why all these questions?

Mrs. Risado noticed her inquisitive frown and only assured her, "We'll stop here. Thank you for answering as much as you could. We just needed some background information."

They stood and shook hands before Mrs. Risado led them out into the waiting lounge where Kairi met up with Yuna. Yuna gave Mrs. Risado a composed smile and chatted pleasantly with her. Kairi's mind idled away from their conversation as she thought back to the day's violent incident and shuddered inwardly. The sound of the dustpan cracking into Barry's head didn't seem to want to leave her head.

And she thought about the next day – how was she going to face school? By then, everybody would know that some big accident happened because of all the police and whatnot. Kairi wouldn't pretend that she hadn't noticed a small crowd of pajama-clad civilians showing up behind the police barricades on the school grounds.

Mrs. Risado must have said something humorously to break up the tension, because it was Yuna's soft laugh that broke Kairi out of her thoughts. "Yes, they're a handful," Yuna said, her bi-colored eyes twinkling, "Usually my mom has to take care of my brothers during the morning and afternoons, but then it'd be my dad's job to sing them to sleep."

"Sounds like what it used to be in my household," Mrs. Risado grinned, "I was always working later so my husband took care of our child. My son is probably around your age. He goes to your school too."

"Really?" Yuna seemed quite surprised, "Who is he?"

Mrs. Risado seemed a little sheepish, "He's a bit of rough house kid and likes to play the tough guy a lot. I don't know if you'd know him since you two girls are so conservative."

Yuna winked, "We're great observers, Mrs. Risado."

"Well…" a charmed Mrs. Risado began.

"Mom," a new voice spoke behind Kairi.

Kairi's back snapped up straight in shock, and her face drained. She heard Yuna gasp as well, "S-Sora?" Kairi felt her mouth run dry.

Mrs. Risado exclaimed in mild surprise, "Honey? What are you doing here?"

Kairi's stomach turned unpleasantly in her. She could feel Sora's gaze on her, though she refused to move. How was she supposed to face him anyway? She had been avoiding him for the past few days and here he was, trapping her with the attention of two other people.

Sora spoke lightly, "Riku called me and said that police showed up at the school tonight. I knew you were going to be working late," he coughed uncomfortably, "And Dad made me bring you some dinner."

Kairi stepped to Yuna's side so that she wasn't blocking Sora when he went to give his mother a brown package. Mrs. Risado beamed, leaning up and kissing her son on the cheek, "Thanks, sweetie. Remember do your homework before you go to bed!" Sora nodded, looking wearily at his mother as she spoke with an uncanny happy note in her voice, "And tell your dad not to worry."

"Sure," Sora said quietly.

Yuna had her arm around Kairi's shoulders; about to excuse them when Sora turned to Kairi, surprising all of them, "Wait."

Not wanting to seem rude in front of Mrs. Risado, Yuna and Kairi stopped. Kairi turned around and gave him the blankest stare she ever gave anyone. Sora seemed a little annoyed – at what, Kairi had no idea – but he didn't waste any time delaying his words, "It's obvious whatever happened at the school tonight happened to you."

Kairi just stared at him.

He seemed a little uncomfortable, under the careful gazes of his mother and Yuna, "You dropped this the other day." Sora pulled something out of his black jeans' pocket and held it towards her, but Kairi made no move to take it. Sora sighed, grabbing her hand, and dropped the familiar item into her palm.

Kairi's blank eyes became more alive as she recognized her beloved seashell pendant. She had forgotten about it due to everything that happened to her lately. Sora had just saved from despairing over it when she would have discovered it missing. His voice made her look up at him again, "People are going to bother you about what happened. But don't let that keep you from going to school."

That was probably the only kind thing that Sora had ever said to her in the years they had known each other. She watched him give her one last look before turning and walking away from them. Somehow she felt confused and completely thrown off her feet. Tears of frustration began to pool in her eyes. Why _now_? Why had he started being nice to her _now_?

At that moment, she wanted to scream at him, call him back… _throttle_ him. But she couldn't do anything to him. Not right then.

Or could she?

Kairi darted after him, leaving a stunned Mrs. Risado and a gapping Yuna.

She caught up to him in no time, grabbed his arm, and dragged him off through the double doors. She stopped both of them abruptly, almost tripping Sora once they were near a lamppost right outside the station. Kairi huffed, her breath becoming clouds in the frigid air. Sora didn't seem very winded at all, being an athlete and all. He snapped at her, "What do you want?"

Forget sign language or writing. Kairi grabbed his black sports jacket and glared as she mouthed vehemently to him, 'What do _you_ want from _me_?'

"Nothing," Sora said.

Kairi let go of him, wondering how she had suddenly lost control of herself like that. Something dawned her then as she looked up curiously at him. She mouthed again, slower this time, 'Can you… read my lips?'

Sora crossed his arms, looking very nonchalant as he looked down on her, "No, I'm reading your mind."

Kairi punched his stiff shoulder, 'Bastard!"

Sora looked at her quietly as she fumed, crossing her arms. He never saw her so lively before – well, at least not after she lost her voice. She was always skittish around their classmates, and definitely tried to avoid him and his friends. To him, this was like the old Kairi from their childhood days had suddenly woken up somewhere in her – and it showed now on the surface, even if she didn't really know it herself.

Despite being moody and abrasive, Kairi felt like she had been breathing stagnant air until suddenly having a taste of fresh air. She struggled to comprehend it, but she figured there was reason behind her mixed emotions. This whole time, she was restricted in communication, always having to use sign language or a pencil to reflect her words. But here, she could "speak" and Sora could understand her in return.

It wasn't like she had never tried mouthing words before, but almost everybody she knew couldn't read lips. She had to unwillingly accept she was quite glad that Sora could.

What set her off was – why did it have to be her greatest foe who understood her?

Kairi ran a hand through her red hair, just like she did every time she felt awkward or distressed. In this case, Sora made her feel both. The silence dragged on until Kairi couldn't take it anymore. She turned on her heel, and left Sora in her dust.

Well, she tried to.

Sora grabbed her hand before she could stomp off dramatically, and pulled her back to him so that she collided into his hard chest. He steadied her from falling over before sitting them both down on the nearby bench. Yanking her hand away from his, she scooted stiffly away leaving several inches between them.

"Can we talk for a bit?" Sora muttered, watching her cautiously like she would turn around and attack him.

'About what?' Kairi glared at him.

Sora thought for a moment, "Look, can you drop the attitude? I know you don't want to be here with me, so just answer my questions and be over with it."

Kairi's face was aflame. How DARE he talk to her like he _ruled_ her! Nevertheless, she snapped at him, making sure he was paying attention, 'Get to it then.'

"What happened after school tonight?" Sora said bluntly.

'It's none of your business.'

"Damn well it isn't. I just want to know."

Kairi stared at him, a little surprised at his serious look. He wasn't playing around. As far as she could tell, he really wanted to know. She ran her hand through her hair again, 'My stepfather attacked me in school. He and my stepmother are in custody right now.'

Sora stared hard at her, "That's all?"

Kairi shot him a deadly look, '_That's all._' What was he playing at anyway?

Sora seemed to calm down a little, his striking blue eyes not as intense as before, "So you're not hurt." It was a statement, not a question.

A thunderbolt seemed to shoot straight down her spine again, effectively shocking her for the second time that night. She could hardly believe her ears. Kairi was tempted to slap him to make sure that he was actually Sora, but she thought otherwise. Her body soon relaxed a little against the back of the wooden bench as the silence dragged again between them.

'Sora?' But he was looking away from her when she turned to get his attention.

Feeling the restrictedness of communication again, Kairi frowned. She reached over and waved a hand in his face, snapping his attention back onto her. Her face reflected her timid thoughts as she asked him much more civilly, 'How did you learn to read people's lips?'

Sora stared at her long and hard, a contemplative expression flitted over his face. It was rare seeing that look on him. She waited for him, not looking away as he lowered his head, his chocolate spiky bangs shadowing his eyes.

"My dad was deaf. He taught me how to catch syllables on people's lips when I was little."

Kairi's red brows raised in surprise, her mouth popping open a little in shock. She wanted as what he meant by "was deaf" and not "is deaf." But she figured it out soon enough without needing him to elaborate. She closed her mouth and looked away. It was no wonder Sora had been so awkward around his mother when they brought up his father.

His mother didn't seem to realize her husband had passed on. Kairi felt sympathy for Sora then, but didn't really know how to show it. She heard him sigh heavily, speaking as if sensing her thoughts, "My mom was so traumatized that she still doesn't believe he's dead. She'll throw huge fits if some one tells her otherwise, so I try to keep it low profile – play along with her as long as it makes her happy enough to continue living."

_He doesn't want to lose her too_, Kairi thought sadly to herself.

Sora made no indication to move, not willing to see her reaction she guessed. In a way, she could understand. She guessed that not many people knew anyway. But he didn't have to avoid her. It wasn't like she didn't know what losing parents felt like.

She reached out a hand and hesitantly pat his rock-hard back. He didn't look up at her, and she didn't make him – and she knew when she wasn't wanted. As Kairi got onto her feet again, she hoped he understood what she tried to say to him. Looking at him one last time, Kairi left him to his brooding thoughts as she walked back into through the doors of the police station.

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Question of the Chapter:

Which sounds most appealing to you on Valentine's Day?

a.) After being served a candlelit dinner, curl up on the couch with your loved one and smooch. The crackling fire burns in the fireplace as the only source of light while the two of you fall asleep in each other's arms.

b.) Bake cookies and cake – show him/her what you can do in the kitchen! Maybe this time he/she will marry you…

c.) Burn and shred his/her photos and all the memories you had of them because he/she let you down lately. Then proceed to stomp and kick around the remains, cursing to the high heavens.

d.) Duh! I don't have a special someone – therefore I might as well do something productive like skydiving out of a plane. Psh. Who needs a special someone?

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Thanks to my reviewers: Isabella Swan , darkwing13 , thesrazrbladekisses , heavyarms385 , KatarasHomegirl , Chibi Neko-Chan2 , haruka-chan87 , kairi's #1 fan , KhanomAna , sheik101 , AngelKairi , AeRiSdOnO , Hoshizora no Hikari , kingdomfantasyanime453 , The Nightstress , Kairi and Cloud , x.guitarpunk.x , Mandy , Suteki no Baka , Tsukiko no Yuki , hopeless illusion , Evil Genius of the COCA .

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	12. A Sense of Peace

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Chapter 12

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Author: Kintora

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A/N: Happy summer vacation, everyone! I hope you guys are all having a nice time. Here's Chapter 12 for you. Don't forget to check out the Question of the Chapter. :) Happy reading.

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_(Previous Chapter)_

_Kairi's red brows raised in surprise, her mouth popping open a little in shock. She wanted as what he meant by "was deaf" and not "is deaf." But she figured it out soon enough without needing him to elaborate. She closed her mouth and looked away. It was no wonder Sora had been so awkward around his mother when they brought up his father._

_His mother didn't seem to realize her husband had passed on. Kairi felt sympathy for Sora then, but didn't really know how to show it. She heard him sigh heavily, speaking as if sensing her thoughts, "My mom was so traumatized that she still doesn't believe he's dead. She'll throw huge fits if some one tells her otherwise, so I try to keep it low profile – play along with her as long as it makes her happy enough to continue living."_

_He doesn't want to lose her too, Kairi thought sadly to herself._

_Sora made no indication to move, not willing to see her reaction she guessed. In a way, she could understand. She guessed that not many people knew anyway. But he didn't have to avoid her. It wasn't like she didn't know what losing parents felt like._

_She reached out a hand and hesitantly pat his rock-hard back. He didn't look up at her, and she didn't make him – and she knew when she wasn't wanted. As Kairi got onto her feet again, she hoped he understood what she tried to say to him. Looking at him one last time, Kairi left him to his brooding thoughts as she walked back into through the doors of the police station._

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Kairi sat at the potter's wheel after school. This time, Miss Lulu stayed with her fixing a broken monster of a plaster sculpture. As Lulu tackled the epoxy glue with a plastic butter knife, Kairi was busy popping out more and more vases and pots. Despite there having been more than enough for the art displays at the up-coming festival, Kairi felt the need to keep herself busy. She could have made another figurine, mixed some plaster and made something, a clay bas relief, or even sketch and paint something.

But whatever she would form between her hands would be something that reminded her of him, Sora. Ever since the night of the chase, Kairi couldn't stop thinking about him. His sad, jaded eyes wouldn't leave her head.

Even long after she had gone inside the warm police station, she couldn't stop thinking about how much she wanted to touch and mend that broken face of his. She was good at remaking and repairing pieces of artwork back at school. The only pieces of art that she couldn't mend were humans. It was ironic how she wanted to mend the person who had broken her in the first place.

Kairi added too much pressure to the clay and it warped into an ugly frame. Her red brow pinched as she gathered the wet clay and began to knead it over again. Stupid thing, why the heck wasn't it doing what she wanted it to do?!

"Kairi, go easy on yourself," Lulu said from where she sat epoxying the heavy plaster, "Remember that the clay can't sculpt itself. If you're feeling bothered, no amount of inspiration will be able to go into that piece."

Kairi sighed, nodding. She spun the wheel again and began to make the clay's figure dance in circles once more. Shoving Sora out of her mind, she struggled to concentrate on what she wanted the vase to look like. Too busy to notice anything else, she hadn't realized Yuna had arrived to pick her up and go home together.

Yuna sidled up to Kairi's back and touched her friend's shoulder making Kairi start, flinging the poor clay into the air by accident. The two girls watched as it fell splat onto the plaster sculpture before Lulu, causing the woman to jump as well. Miss Lulu didn't let what she thought show visibly on her brow, except for the slight tick of her right eyebrow. Kairi watched anxiously as Lulu scooped up the clay and went to the clay-recycling machine. She opened the metal lid and dumped the ruined clay in there before straightening nonchalantly.

"I suppose that clay was cursed anyway. It'll be 'purified' by tomorrow," Lulu said, wiping her violet manicured nails with a paper towel. She turned to face her two pale-faced students, "Well what are you two waiting for? Go on and get. I'll clean up the studio by myself."

Kairi nodded quickly, her face flaming up in embarrassment as she stood and went to clean herself up and gather her things. Yuna bowed, flushing pink as well when she apologized, "Sorry Lulu. We'll make it up to you somehow."

Lulu merely tsked as she turned away, fixing her dark braids, "There's not much else you can make up for. Both of you have already put in extra school hours for the festival. I couldn't be more bothered." Thought Lulu sounded tough, Kairi could detect a friendly note in her voice. Kairi managed a small smile as she waved goodbye to her teacher.

Yuna winced as Kairi led her out of the room and down the stairwell, "Ouch. Sorry about that back there, Kai. I thought you knew I came in."

'I was a little distracted,' Kairi motioned with her hands.

Yuna pat Kairi's back and marveled, "Jeez Kairi, I knew something was up with you. You're as hard a rock!"

Kairi rolled her shoulders, 'Yeah, I'm just a little stressed.'

"Just a little!" Yuna laughed massaging Kairi's shoulders, "Girl, we need to talk again tonight."

'Your mom's gonna kill us if we stay up all night again…' Kairi showed her, 'Besides, it's no big deal. The whole thing happened a week ago.'

"Yeah, I know," Yuna replied, "But a week is hardly long enough to forget something like that. And… the trial is coming up soon. Dad is getting his best attorney and all just so we can win this case and also have you join the family. Mom and Dad really want to adopt you, and the boys are really excited to have a new sister."

Kairi joked, 'And you, my love?'

Yuna laughed, pinching Kairi's arm, "We've been as close as real sisters our whole lives. What did you think I'd say? No? Silly Kairi."

As the two friends walked into the setting sun, Kairi felt her heart lighten slightly.

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"No way. And you kept this from me, why?" Yuna queried as she took another swig from her cream soda.

Kairi set down her glass bottle of cream soda and motioned with her hands, 'I thought it would have been better if I kept it to myself.'

Yuna bounced lightly on her bed fixing Kairi with a stern look, "Well it's not like I'm the type to gossip. Was it Sora who told you not to say anything?"

'No,' Kairi thought for a second, 'Actually, he didn't say anything to me afterwards… I just walked away.' The redhead shuffled around on her sleeping bag to get comfortable,

"Just like that?" Yuna asked, ceasing to bounce on her mattress. She noticed Kairi was still moving around on her sleeping bag, "Hey Kai, come up here already and get used to using a bed again. Mom and Dad are getting you a bed to fit into my room. I hope you don't mind?"

Kairi beamed, 'All right." She climbed up next to Yuna, 'You know… I'm beginning to think that Sora's not all bad.'

Yuna shrugged, "He may be on of Tidus' best friends and Mrs. Risado's son, but he's still Sora the snobbish King of Destiny High. You still have to be careful." Yuna sipped her fizzy drink again, "So he's had a tough life too, losing his dad and all, but that doesn't justify his actions towards you in the past.

Kairi sighed silently, 'I know. But he didn't know about what happened to me before I ran away from him in the courtyard.'

"Maybe you're right," Yuna threaded her free hand into her hair, "Maybe I'm just jumping to conclusions about him. Neither of us really know the guy – who can blame us? He's picked on us since we were little. But because I do care and worry about you, I want you to guard your heart a little more. So don't be mad at me for saying all this, okay? We both know you're a sensitive person, Kairi. With what's going on, you don't want to chew more than you can swallow. You've got yourself a full plate already."

Kairi slung an arm around Yuna's shoulders, 'I'll never be mad at you, Yuna. And you are right. I'm like an open book!'

Yuna laughed, "As if that's anything to boast about!" She sobered up a little, "Sora has made everyone back off lately. I've definitely noticed that too. Maybe you are right in saying he's not a bad person. Just don't leap before you look, okay?"

'Yeah… I know,' Kairi yawned. She almost managed an audible squeak when Yuna shoved her a little.

"You better go to bed now, even I know I'll never be able to convince you to use mine right now. Use whatever floats your boat," Yuna said as she began to snuggle up under her covers.

Kairi pinched Yuna's nose, 'You didn't brush your teeth! And did you finish your homework yet?'

The brunette waved Kairi's hand from her face and groaned turning away, the empty glass bottle forgotten on the bed covers, "Too tired. And yes, I finished my homework already. It's funny how our roles seem to switch sometimes, Miss Mother Hen."

Kairi wanted to call Yuna "Mother Goose" but Yuna's breathing had begun to slow and even out. It was just then that Kairi noticed how tired Yuna really was. The girl had seemed so haggled about a case that wasn't even her own over the past several weeks. Kairi felt the corners of her lips pull into a thin frown. She had hardly noticed Yuna's fatigue.

Kairi felt her eyebrow tick – that girl was just too good at acting.

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News must have traveled extremely fast, for by the morning of the second day after the incident, the whole school knew that tidbit of Kairi's life story. Her parents weren't actually her real parents. They were adoptive parents who abused their adoptive kid.

By the end of first period, she had people whom she didn't even recall coming up to her and apologizing for their past antics and attitudes towards her. Some of her fellow schoolmates just chose to give her sympathetic looks. Others couldn't even lift their eyes to look at her.

It made her unusually tired.

Kairi shut her still broken locker with a tired sounding thud just as the bell rang for her lunch period. Not quite feeling up for any food, Kairi hadn't bothered taking out the bag lunch that Yuna's mother had prepared for her. She would eat it later during her art period, just before school ended so Aore wouldn't find out. Kairi didn't want to make her worried.

Yuna had told her earlier that she was skipping lunch to finish a math exam, so Kairi had no one to talk with. Kairi paused a moment in thought before she continued her on her route to the library. Since when was she so excited to communicate with someone? She had always been very quiet in the past, even around Yuna.

But after clearing some of her problems up with Yuna's family (and with Sora, but she didn't want to admit that now,) Kairi had felt more encouraged to actually communicate her true thoughts and feelings again.

She brought a hand up to feel the jagged scar at the base of her neck. It was still there, still very prominent. She knew people stared at it sometimes when they noticed it. The scar had hidden beneath her sweaters and turtlenecks all this time, along with all her other bruises. Now that she had no more bruises or wounds to hide, Kairi had stepped up her sense of style a little. But the scar was a constant reminder of the first biggest mistake in her life.

As she straightened her baby-tee collar over it, she felt slightly queasy. It was something she could never cover up completely. Clothes and foundation only hid it. But after so many years, the scar still would not fade. Kairi frowned, resigning her hand from touching the slight texture of the scar.

At least, that was among the least of her worries now. She finally had what she really wanted, and that would be a family that cared about her actual well-being. Now that the trial was coming up that same month, that wish would soon be official and fulfilled. This Christmas, she knew she would probably be among the happiest people around. She smiled. Talking could wait a bit. Once this whole ordeal was over, she could consider surgery.

As she turned the corner for the stairs, Kairi spotted Sora heading in the direction of the cafeteria. She figured he was a little late like a few other stragglers heading inside the big double doors. She felt the corners of her mouth turning up as she thought about his recent change in behavior towards her. Despite having hated him for a good portion of her life, she was beginning to think they could get a long somehow.

Just as she was going to go her own way up the stairs before her, she noticed that he turned away from the double doors leading into the cafeteria and for the opposite set of stairs from her.

The smile dropped as confusion set in. Not that she was trying to be nosy or anything, but Kairi couldn't help but wonder where he was heading. Before Sora could leave her sight, Kairi had to set down a decision quickly.

She flushed wondering why she cared so much about where he was going. But seeing him disappear up the steps provoked her into abandoning her trip to the library as she hurried quietly after him.

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Question of the Chapter:

I realize that most of my readers are in either middle school or high school (maybe even college or grad school?) So since it's summer vacation, I'd like to hear what you guys are all up to if you don't mind. As in 'Are you going anywhere?' or 'Why are you going?' or even 'Did you go anywhere already?' Heck, you can even tell me what you think about it.

My Answer:

On June 25, I left for Taiwan to join a little summer exchange program. Just in case you don't know, Taiwan is a semi-independent democratic city-island off the southeastern coast of Mainland China (China is still communist.) There's been friction between Taiwan and China for many, many years, yet both areas speak Mandarin Chinese as their mother tongue.

Anyway, I went because my parents were both born and raised in Taipei, Taiwan – making me a second generation American-born outside of Taiwan. I just thought it'd be a treat to officially tour my homeland.

…Okay, actually there are a lot of really cute guys there too, though that's only part of the reason. I mean, check out those Asian dramas and their actors! So there, you got me. I love eye-candy too. :)

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Thanks to my Chapter 11 reviewers: Kairi and Cloud , KhanomAna , kingdomfantasyanime453 , Iridaceae , heavyarms385 , Hoshizora no Hikari , Sapphire Serenity , AeRiSdOnO , Lamatikah , SakuraAngel6761 , hikari-chan210 , darkwing13 , bright-eyesxX , sorasheart281 , KarateKairi , paopu-cat , Chibi Neko-Chan2 , vballqueen1792 , Spazzioli , Isabella Swan , Alex E. Tracer , Ravey13 , The Six of Hearts , Evil Genius of the COCA , doortolight57 , kairi96 , YinYangWhiteTiger , valor999 , CipaToLove , crescent moon at midnight , DuskSamurai , soraloveskairi159 , Whimsical Sonata , Melissa , kairi irl , Suteki no Baka , Starseer , Becky13474 , Bobbins , Simple Echo , Wind Kunai , mecearth , -x-StaarGiirl-o- , MiracleXofXlight , Setula the Black Rose , and AngelicAzure .

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	13. Gone With the Wind

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Chapter 13

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Author: Kintora

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A/N: Happy Halloween! I co-updated this with **Deja Blue** in case you guys were interested.

Well, I was going to wait until Halloween to post this, but I thought you guys have waited long enough for this chapter to come out.

Anyway, Thank you for all of your support! Again, if you read the author's notes in my new story, Deja Blue – the same thing applies here.

**Please review the chapter after you are done reading it.**

I would appreciate it very much, and I promise I will reply. It's quite frustrating for a writer to see people read and favorite their stories, but never comment on them. I'm not saying that everybody does – most of you always come back to read my stuff and continue to give your support almost every chapter. Again, this message is only for the people who are not taking the time to be a little more considerate.

Aside all of that please enjoy this new chapter!

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_(Previously)_

_As she turned the corner for the stairs, Kairi spotted Sora heading in the direction of the cafeteria. She figured he was a little late like a few other stragglers heading inside the big double doors. She felt the corners of her mouth turning up as she thought about his recent change in behavior towards her. Despite having hated him for a good portion of her life, she was beginning to think they could get a long somehow._

_Just as she was going to go her own way up the stairs before her, she noticed that he turned away from the double doors leading into the cafeteria and for the opposite set of stairs from her. _

_The smile dropped as confusion set in. Not that she was trying to be nosy or anything, but Kairi couldn't help but wonder where he was heading. Before Sora could leave her sight, Kairi had to set down a decision quickly._

_She flushed wondering why she cared so much about where he was going. But seeing him disappear up the steps provoked her into abandoning her trip to the library as she hurried quietly after him._

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Kairi almost lost him as he walked swiftly through the halls and up another flight of stairs. As she scrambled as quietly as she could after him, she was beginning to wonder where the heck he was going. That was when they reached the 600 wing of the third floor.

The only classes up here were all for art-related classes. For one, Lulu taught Kairi's sculpture and studio art classes. Other classes taught by other teachers in the 600 wing were classes like portfolio planning, comic and design, theatre and dance, voice, and video-directing. There were probably more, but she was not really concentrating to remember.

She was only interested in why he would be up here during lunch. Wouldn't his friends be missing him?

It was common knowledge that Sora and his preppy, sporty friends preferred not to "lower" themselves to artistic standards.

So back to the question – why the heck was Sora wandering around up here?

Judging the direction he was walking in, Kairi couldn't help but expect that he was going to 602 – her beloved art room, her nest of safety in the school. The room was a personal heaven to her. The open windows on the ceiling and walls welcomed sunlight into the room everyday. If it was raining, the pitter-pattering of rain on the windows offered a brilliant view of water falling from the pouring gray-green skies. In the afternoon when she stayed late, she had the privilege to watch the pastel colors darken into dusky violets and antique golds.

The gently humming vents in the room never allowed any sort of suffocating silence to fill and drown the room. It helped her relax completely and think creatively where not even the library could offer her such luxury. Simply speaking, the art room was her place of self-absorbed peace.

She knew she shouldn't have felt intruded on, for the art room belonged to any other student as much as it belonged to her. It was public school property, and not the private home property that Kairi had considered selfishly before. But this was _Sora_ who was intruding. He was an athlete who once scorned her art, destroyed her things… this place should not be tainted by him.

It made her unreasonably angry, despite her previous notions to give him a chance and see him as a good person.

Sure enough, she saw him pull the familiar wooden door open and enter the sunroom. Though feeling a little uneasy that he was inside 602, Kairi tried to find a logical reason why he would be there. She highly doubted that he was there to take private lessons from Miss Lulu. Kairi felt her blood run cold when she irrationally thought about more negative possibilities.

What if he was there to trash other people's art works? But no… Lulu would be there – usually. He wouldn't dare. But what if he was there to mess up the room in anyway? What if Lulu was _not_ there today?

The negative thoughts continually nagged at her, and even began to hurt her brain. She was not supposed to be under any more additional stress for the time being. The trial was scheduled to happen the coming Monday, officially a week and three days after Barry, her foster father had attacked her.

The defenses for her lawful guardians were not doing so well, as far as judging where Kairi should be placed. But even if the chances for her "parents" to take her back were very slim, she was still extremely nervous that there was the slightest possibility that the defense would win. Suddenly remembering that her birthday would be two days following the trial, Thursday, December 25th, Kairi felt her stomach drop.

She should not even think about the trial or even her sweet sixteenth.

Quickly, she padded over to the door of 206 and pressed her ear against the door to hear what was going on. She wanted to know what she was getting into before she would barge in and save the day. In her mind, she conjured a picture of herself jumping into a superman suit and running down the door. She almost snorted. No, it would be much less dramatic than that. But if Sora really dared anything, he should know that she was pretty handy with an iron dustpan.

But nothing much was going on. In fact, she could hear Lulu's deep and melodic voice speaking. And Sora was responding with that boyish tone of his. Only, he did not sound cocky or cold. Kairi strained to hear beyond the door, but she could not decipher their conversation. She only knew that they seemed comfortable talking to each other.

Since when had Sora and Lulu known each other that well?

Kairi narrowed her eyes as she heard them walk further away, towards the back of the room near the wide windows. It sounded like they were disappearing into the storage room for their voices sounded even harder to hear. There was a crash and a scolding tone from Lulu, but then a laugh broke out followed by other thumping sounds that Kairi could not interpret.

Or, she tried not to. A spine-freezing shiver jarred her back, rattling the rest of her body all the way to her toes and fingertips.

_No freaking way._

Her mind was getting too carried away lately. Maybe she had been hit over the head _far_ too many times in her life. She didn't know. But the possibility still remained despite Kairi's desperate attempt to think of other excuses. She was running out of ideas really.

Kairi bit her lip and leaned her weight from one foot to the other like a nervous elementary student wondering whether the teacher would let her go to the bathroom. But this was worse. Kairi was stuck between entering briskly through the door and see what was really going, or, backing out and never finding out until a rumor picks up in a matter of days if this kept up.

It was such a strange and uncomfortable feeling to be caught with this kind of decision.

But in the end, the sounds subsided and Kairi did not hear anything else. Panicking slightly about what to do, Kairi put up her straight face and swung open the doors bravely. Her dusky eyes scoured the empty room. Sure enough, the voices were coming from inside the storage room. She swallowed, hearing no more questionable sounds.

Shaking from head to foot in embarrassment, she marched towards the storage door. Never had the door appeared so short and so far away from her. It was far, because a part of her was actually worried about Lulu. It was short, because she did not _really_ want to know.

When Kairi nearly reached the slightly ajar door, Lulu's laugh rang out again causing Kairi to jump and step on her shoelace. She let out a silent scream before falling down on her rump, knocking over a tin bucket and some mops and brooms by the sinks. The loud commotion sent the two other occupants in the art room to hurry back out to see what had happened.

Kairi sat amidst the mess, scrambling to get back onto her feet again just as Miss Lulu and Sora emerged quickly. She sat dumbly as the two approached her, and she was surprised to see Sora with a poorly cut block of clay in his hands, which he put on the plaster wedge board before he bent down and pulled her upright.

The redhead flushed darkly as Lulu made a chastising sound under her breath and asked her student, "Kairi, I thought you should be at the Library with Miss Gainsborough."

Kairi gave her a sheepish look before holding her hands up to use sign language. Her eyes caught Sora's momentarily, so Kairi mouthed her words as she moved her hands.

'I thought I would come here today,' she lied, trying to cover up her embarrassing lapse of judgment, 'I just slipped when I was walking over to the storage.' Kairi looked between them. Their clothes were still very much in tact under the dirty aprons they wore. And nothing seemed to be out of place, save for the smudges of gray clay on Sora's cheeks and black apron. His fingers were dabbled in clay, and one hand was still holding a wire clay-cutter.

Lulu did not looked convinced, and Sora blatantly showed his disbelief by rolling his sky-blue eyes heavenward. Her ex-tormentor smirked, "I swore I was being tailed on the way up here. It was you, wasn't it?"

'No!' Kairi protested weakly.

Sora teased her, "I'll bet you were _really_ curious. Curious enough to sneak up here and spy on me."

Kairi's ears reddened angrily as she puffed out her cheeks in displeasure. He could be so annoying sometimes, especially when he had an audience. When she looked back at Miss Lulu, it was apparent that the older woman knew something. There was that knowing little smile on her indigo-painted lips and the sparkle of light in her heavily shadowed eyes. It was the same knowing smile that she gave students who made up excuses for not turning in assigned sketches.

She ignored them both and bent down on one knee to tie her traitorous shoelaces. They belonged to the new pink converse sneakers that Aore had bought for her last time they went to replenish her wardrobe. While Kairi felt a little hesitant about letting Yuna's parents buy clothes and other daily things for her, Aore and Braska simply reminded her that she was now family whether legally or not. It did not matter – they would treat her as their second daughter.

"Kairi."

She looked up at Lulu. The woman had a very scary look in her eyes that said she was planning something – like a surprise exam on the color wheel or something like that. But this time it was a different test.

"I want you to help Sora in my place today. There's only about another forty minutes or so to this period, so I don't think there should be a problem. Besides, I need to go down to the library to pick up some reference books on Bernini and Michelangelo. I'll let Aerith and Yuna know where you are so they don't think you were kidnapped or anything."

Sora and Kairi looked uneasily at each other. Kairi finally nodded, but she had to ask, 'What is Sora doing up here anyway?' She added to the boy in front of her, 'I thought you said my kind of art was just crap about a month ago.'

"Are you still holding me against it?" he asked wearily.

'Yes!' Kairi almost spat, 'And I'll never forget it!'

Sora shrugged and looked away. Miss Lulu merely answered Kairi's question, pretending that she did not understand what hat had been exchanged between the two, "Kairi, Sora volunteered to try his hand at sculpture a while ago," she nodded at Sora, "We could say that this is probably the third week already, right? Whatever his intention is, I don't think it is wise to discourage him from it."

Kairi nodded with a semi-defeated look, and Sora tried to hide a smirk. Lulu turned her sharp eyes on him, "But don't get me wrong, Sora. Most of the learning also comes with learning from someone else besides the teachers – be that your peers or from other artists. What better than to learn from Kairi for now? She is both your peer and an accomplished artist in this school."

The glow of pride seemed to lift some of Kairi's spirits when it came to teaching Sora. She couldn't help but grin inwardly at Sora's dampened smirk. As Lulu left, and they were forced to work cooperatively, Kairi sensed that neither she nor Sora could get rid of the hard feelings between them, despite the recent events. The slight competitive feelings lately seemed to have grown.

After years of Sora bullying Kairi, it had become apparent that their roles were once again shifting. Kairi had lost the helplessness and even learned to pick up from where she left off when she was much younger. The resilient spark in her had, thankfully, only been asleep. Now, she was ready to state her odds with Sora, yet not be intimidated by him any longer. And Sora had finally found that teasable, but strong-minded girl he had known a long time ago.

And he liked this Kairi better.

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'No, no, no! Not like that, Sora,' Kairi mouthed her words and shooed Sora to the side so she could demonstrate again. She sat down and slowed the rapidly spinning wheel, 'Your clay is moving because your hands aren't wet enough, and you pressed the pedal too hard. Keep everything wet, and hold your left hand still like this. Also, don't be so gentle with the clay. It's not going to eat your hand for adding pressure. This shouldn't be so hard. It's not rocket science.'

Clearly, Sora thought it was. He had never thought that anything so trivial could be so difficult. Sure he had a mind to pound the gray blob into a flat little pancake and give up, but he was afraid he would ruin the third clay block for the day. Sora struggled to concentrate between reading her lips and watching her center the uneven blob of gray clay with easy, patient precision.

Unfortunately, patience with the previously discombobulated clay was something Sora had yet to master.

Maybe Kairi should have worded her advice more nicely. But technically, this was some minor payback for the years of verbal torture he inflicted on her. However, sweet vengeance was not so sweet when she felt bad about purposefully hurting him back. It was just like the way Yuna said it the night before. Kairi really was too softhearted for her own good.

Sensing his frustration, Kairi tried to think of another way to teach him. Obviously, 'talking' was not going to work. There was another method, but that method would be very awkward, especially with Sora. But seeing him tackle the clay all wrong again, Kairi lightly kicked the power switch off, stopping the clay from being ruined completely again. She breathed calmly and took Sora's caked hands in hers, making him wash his hands in the murky slip water before she washed her own.

Squeezing the sponge free of slip and clay, Kairi rewetted it and squeezed the water over the gray blob on the wheel. She tapped Sora on the shoulder, making him read her lips.

'I know this will be a little weird, but it works. Just let my hands guide yours. If you have any questions, say something to get my attention, so I can explain what you want to know. Now sit.'

"…All right," Sora agreed reluctantly.

Kairi kneeled down by his side and took his wet hands, cupping them between hers. She them placed their hands around the clay, forming Sora's left hand into a wet fist and placing the flat of it against the side of the clay. She then used his right hand to fully cup the rest of the clay. She kneed the power switch back on and adjusted the speed of the wheel with her foot. Gently, she arranged Sora's hands against the clay and applied just the right amount of force to them so that Sora could feel how centering clay on his own would be like.

Once the clay absorbed the water, Kairi pointed at the symmetrical gray shape and Sora's sticky gray hands, telling him that everything was too dry. She soaked the sponge again and rewetted it all before taking Sora's hand back into hers. Wordlessly, she guided his hands and fingers against the cool, spinning clay. As the clay was correctly centered, Kairi looked at Sora with a smile to show that the centering had gone well.

If she was not mistaken, Sora also looked pretty glad that they actually got somewhere with the clay. Or maybe he was just glad that he could stop. She didn't know. However, it was a relief that he did not seem repulsed by her or the mess. She removed his hands from the centered piece and showed him how to make a hole and pull the walls out. After carefully widening the walls, she motioned for him to try making it wider on his own.

Sora hesitantly tried to widen the walls, but it did not seem to change. His hands were never going to be as skilled, as delicate, or as stable as Kairi's. No matter what he did, he knew that his longer, harder fingers would somehow warp the cup. He would break it. Destroy it, and not even on purpose either.

He was nervous, and daresay, a little afraid.

It confounded him that such a small thing could scare him. But he wasn't specifically afraid of destroying the clay shape. It was just that the clay reminded him of the russet-haired girl beside him, watching his hands in mild concentration as he worked. He broke her before, and somehow, she had been able to get back onto her feet. What was amazing is… he had not been the only one, only _thing_, breaking her.

He, the snobbish King of Destiny High, had no right to even be near this strong-hearted, resilient girl after all he had done to her.

Sora did not want to break her again. He would not know how to fix her.

Just like how he would not be able to fix a warped piece of clay.

He fought the urge to run a muddy hand through his hair in agitation.

"Kairi, I can't do this. Why don't you do the rest," Sora said, wiping a few loose strands of brown hair away from his face.

Kairi knew. She had not been blind to his struggling thought. He was still too afraid to go a step further in fear of breaking it. Why he was so nervous and antsy about it, she had no idea. None of the students she ever knew had been that nervous on their first try.

She led his hands away again and took his seat on the stool, finishing the piece herself and pinching the lip gently to complete it. She stopped the wheel and looked at the Japanese-styled teacup with its straight cylinder sides and rim textures roving up and down the sides.

It was not the most impressive piece out there. It did not look that great. She would have to embellish it in a green glaze. Maybe add some gold flecks too. She could even etch a little portrait of bamboo leaves on one side to capture the rest of its oriental look. But what made it interesting was that it did not belong to just one person for two very different people created it together. In Kairi's opinion, that certain flare made up for its plain shape – even if only Sora and she would know.

Kairi took a wire clay-cutter and set it by the base of the cup. With a light tap to the pedal to send the wheel spinning in a swift 360. As it made its round, Kairi pulled the wire towards her, freeing the cup from the wheel. She picked up the little black platform with their completed piece from the potter's wheel and set it on the drying shelf with other drying pottery.

Sora helped her clean up the area and wash the tools and bowls after dumping the extra slip into the slop bucket. Neither acknowledged the other as they washed their hands. As the awkward silence stretched on, Kairi felt the knot of tension continue to grow in her stomach.

She peeked at Sora under her long eyelashes, but he was not looking at her. His cool expression had not changed, and he was obviously trying to ignore her. Not that she could blame him, since she was ignoring him as much as he was ignoring her. _But still…_ Kairi thought, _he could at least say something._ Kairi flicked her gaze back to her hands again and shut off the sink when she was done.

Heading for her book bag, Kairi pulled out a small bottle of hand lotion. It did not have much of a smell. It was a little feminine with its light lavender scent, but it was not as strong as something from Bath and Body. She rubbed her dry palms together and breathed in the soothing lavender.

She heard Sora walking towards the door to head out. He wasn't even going to thank her!

Kairi ran up to him, and pulled him back by his sweatshirt sleeve. Sora stopped and turned around to face her, his eyes unreadable, "What?"

'Can't you be a little nicer?' she asked him sourly. She held out her hand for his, 'I'm not going to bite. Just give me your hand for a second.'

Sora watched as Kairi squeezed some lotion into his rough, slightly callused palm. Kairi told him, 'Working with clay will dry your hands out. It's best to carry some lotion on you so they don't crack in the winter air.'

"Thanks."

She watched him rub his hands together and take a light whiff, "What's this scent?"

'Lavender flowers,' Kairi answered, 'Why?'

"It smells good. I think I'll get some for my mom this Christmas," he admitted, a smile finally dimming onto his face.

She couldn't help but smile, 'I'm sure she will love it.'

Kairi turned away from him to head for the storage room to double check that everything was put back in place. But before she could even move two paces towards it, Sora's hand reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her back towards him. Not expecting the sudden shift in balance suddenly, Kairi felt herself trip on the slippery floor, only to have Sora catch her before she could fall down. She shook with shock, as she clung to his shoulders to stabilize her footing again. Her face was mere centimeters below his lips as he turned to press them against her forehead.

His warm, soft lips stayed on her brow before he tucked her head under his chin and held her still frame close.

A million thoughts racing through her head at the speed of light, blinding her mind as Sora's arms tightened around her. Before she could push him away, before she catch herself leaning towards him even more – Sora spoke simply, his voice husky.

"I'm sorry."

Just as suddenly as that, he left her – like an invisible breeze escaping through an open window.

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A/N: Yeah, Sora's chicken. He ran away! What now, you ask? Well, you'll just have to find out soon. :)

**Please review if you have read. Thank you!**

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Question of the Chapter:

Who is/are your favorite Disney character(s)? (He/she/it/they do not have to be in the Kingdom Hearts games.)

My Answer:

Personally, I love Mickey, Mushu, and Stitch. I know they all appeared in KH, but that's not why I love them! I swear on it. :)

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Thanks to my Chapter 12 reviewers: kairi irl , kingdomfantasyanime453 , soraloveskairi159 , Ravey13 , Setula the Black Rose , Chibi Neko-Chan2 , -x-StaarGiirl-o- , Helen , sorasheart281 , valor999 , AngelicAzure , .sora.luves.me. , ffkingdom , Simple Echo , SilverTsuki , paopu-cat , Tsukiko no Yuki , Isabella Swan , Akane Naomi , KarateKairi , CerberAsta , Dagorwen of Beleriand , SimplySarah1221 , darkwing13 , DivineSunSHiNE. , Shana.95 , Doggone2dog , MiracleXofXlight , BlueNobody , Iridaceae , SakuraAngel6761 , vballqueen1792 , Lamatikah , KAIR1 , KhanomAna , fatalxbeautee , estrellaz , Manga-Fanatic , Jose , sonic10235 , NamineLovesRoxasTooMuch , KA1Ri , and saskk .

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	14. You're My Shooting Star

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Chapter 14

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Author: Kintora

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A/N: Wow… It's been a while. Well, at least it's not as long as six months, right? Anyway, I'm glad to have written another chapter for this story. I have so much I want to do with the plot – and so many Sora/Kairi moments to add into the drama. Don't worry though; we're getting there. Things are really heating up, what with the trial and all.

But is Kairi really out of the deep end yet?

I don't know about you, but I smell trouble brewing.

Please enjoy the chapter. :)

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_(Previously)_

_Kairi turned away from him to head for the storage room to double check that everything was put back in place. But before she could even move two paces towards it, Sora's hand reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her back towards him. Not expecting the sudden shift in balance, Kairi felt herself trip on the slippery floor, only to have Sora catch her before she could fall down. She shook with shock, as she clung to his shoulders to stabilize her footing again. Her face was mere centimeters below his lips as he turned to press them against her forehead. _

_His warm, soft lips stayed on her brow before he tucked her head under his chin and held her still frame close._

_A million thoughts racing through her head at the speed of light, blinding her mind as Sora's arms tightened around her. Before she could push him away, before she catch herself leaning towards him even more – Sora spoke simply, his voice husky._

"_I'm sorry."_

_Just as suddenly as that, he left her – like an invisible breeze escaping through an open window._

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Kairi walked home with Yuna, silently as always. But that afternoon, she merely kept up with Yuna's jittery news about Tidus this and Tidus that. She didn't have to say anything really. Her best friend was completely out in her own little world. It wasn't a bad thing though. Kairi was just glad that her friend was happy. Right now, that was what really mattered. Yuna didn't deserve to be so bogged down by Kairi's messed up life.

"So what do you think?" Yuna finally pounced a direct question at her.

Kairi snapped out of her quiet reverie, having lost track of the one-sided conversation just a minute ago. She panicked, wondering what kind of coherent answer she could give her friend. If she could speak, this was when she would be stuttering helplessly. In sign language, there was no real hand gesture for her 'uhs' and 'ums.'

"Kairi?" Yuna finally paused to pay attention to her friend, "You okay?"

Nodding fervently, Kairi hoisted up her hands and answered her, 'I think you and Tidus look great together…'

Yuna stopped and Kairi stopped along with her. She nervously looked at Yuna's worried face before quickly gesturing an apology, 'I'm sorry, Yuna. I zoned out a little.'

Yuna tilted her face forward and inspected Kairi's guilty look. She finally spoke, "Well… I thought something was slightly off with you today. But I was asking you what you thought about school today, not about Tidus and me."

Finally seeing where she made her slip up, Kairi wrung her hands before signaling her answer with them again, 'I really do think that… that you and Tidus are getting along quite well. I've seen him talking with you quite a lot. He really seems to care. You two are very sweet together.'

"Kairi," Yuna would not be deterred, "Something's bothering you. What happened?"

Kairi shook her head, but it was hopeless. Yuna could and would always be able to read her like an open book. Kairi sighed silently, 'I saw Sora today.'

"Well, of course you did. He goes to our school. He's in the same grade…" Yuna froze, staring worriedly at her, "Wait. Did he do something to you? Did he hurt you? What did he do? If he did, I'm going to –!"

Kairi waved her hands to stop her rampaging friend, and got them walking again. It kind of scared her seeing Yuna so angry.

'Yuna, he didn't do anything to harm me. I just saw him with Miss Lulu… in the art room. Working on pottery.'

"Really?" Yuna blinked, relaxing minutely, "Are you sure?"

'Yes, I even spoke with him and Lulu.'

Yuna continued to look at her suspiciously.

'What? I'm telling the truth!' Kairi assured her friend, 'I'm serious.'

Her friend nodded as they neared the familiar street in the neighborhood, "Okay. Then what happened?"

Kairi explained even as they trudged toward Yuna's front door, scraping their shoes against the welcome mat as Yuna turned the house key to open the door. Nobody was home yet, so the two of them continued up the stairs to Yuna's room. After dumping their book bags onto the floor, Kairi finished the story and sat down at Yuna's desk while Yuna flopped onto the bed. Nervously, Kairi eyed her quiet friend as the girl stared up at the pastel green ceiling with her heterochromic eyes.

Yuna breathed out before finally speaking again, "So Sora is no longer an enemy, but an ally?" She turned her gaze back to Kairi again.

Kairi shrugged, motioning with her hands, 'I guess so. He just… really surprised me.'

"Yeah, me too now that you've told me about the pottery thing," Yuna agreed. She pushed herself up again, "Let's grab something to eat while we work on the study guide. Miss Gainsborough's tests aren't easy, but they're not tricky either. We'll just have to be prepared for that physics test before tomorrow."

After settling on a few graham crackers and some lemonade, the two of them flipped through their test books and quizzed each other back and forth over the material. Even the loud voices of the triplets could not ruin their quiet study session. Just as the two of them were really slipping into a studious mood though, Aore and Braska came home. However, Yuna and Kairi's pencils immediately froze over their papers upon hearing the anxious tone in Aore's voice while Braska unsuccessfully tried to calm her down.

The two of them glanced at each other before standing up and creeping down the upstairs hall towards the voices in the kitchen. They met up with the triple terrors too, but for once, the three boys were silent, also listening intently on the conversation.

"This can't be happening!" Aore snapped in frustration, "Why would they just let them go?!"

The scraping of a chair indicated that she had pulled it out, sitting down heavily at the table. There was a short moment's pause before Braska spoke up, "Aore, I know it's hard to believe, but the defense is that Kairi has no current scars and bruises to prove child abuse."

Yuna and Kairi looked at each other in fright before tuning even more.

"So what are they saying? Are the police blind? Did they not see what happened at the school that night?!" Aore argued back hoarsely, "God help me, but I think there is no justice!" There was a strangled choke as Aore tried to fight her onslaught of tears.

Another chair scraped out and Braska spoke even more gently, "Honey, listen. It doesn't seem fair, but we have our hands tied behind our backs. Barry Burns was drunk that night when he broke into the school. He will be charged for that, but right now, we can only pray that everything will be all right."

Aore cried harder, "Kairi can't go back to them. I won't allow it."

"Aore…" Braska tried again, "We are not Kairi's legal guardians. Cara and Barry Burns are."

"No… She's suffered enough. She can't… She can't go back to them."

Braska could not bring himself to answer her. But when he did speak up again, the five figures standing near the stairs all jumped a foot in the air.

"You kids can come down here now. We know you're listening."

The triplets, Yuna, and Kairi shared the same mortified faces as they went down the stairs and crowded into the kitchen. Braska and Aore were sitting across from each other. Yuna's father was rubbing his forehead tiredly when he addressed them again, "I knew the house was too quiet."

A distressed Aore lifted her blotchy face from her hands and turned to look helplessly at Kairi Yuna. She slowly got up and walked over to them, drawing the two girls into her arms as she cried over their shoulders. Kairi stared wide-eyed at the tabletop, as she and Yuna tried to console her. Braska sighed heavily, "How much did you hear?"

Yuna's voice almost cracked, "We… we heard something about the Burns' being released…"

Kairi prayed that she and the others had heard wrong, but Braska's crestfallen face did not help shake her from her hopeless wish. Braska stood up slowly, looking older than he really was. His clear blue eyes looked dull and void.

All at once, Kairi felt her world crashing down around her in pieces again.

Anything good would always be too good to be true.

She could never escape from reality.

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Kairi walked out of the physics' classroom as if in a trance, as if she were a zombie from one of those living dead horror films from the 30s. Even her world seemed black and white, as she stumbled past her groaning classmates and into the crowded hallways. Outside, a bleached out Yuna met her, with a solemn looking Tidus at her side.

"How did you do?" Yuna's muted voice asked her.

Kairi only nodded, looking briefly at her friend before letting her gaze fall down towards her feet. Somehow, her pink converses looked brighter than usual. Maybe because they reminded her of the hospitality that she had a chance to taste before everything was all stripped away from her again.

Normally, after getting a super hard test done and knowing she had aced it would have lightened her mood. But today, she found herself wishing she could revert the hour, take the test again, and prolong the school day. For at the end of the day, she would not be going home because there was no home to go to.

The night before – after the emotionally stressful conversation in the kitchen – the phone had rung. It was Mrs. Risado and her news was grave. Cara and Barry Burns were bailed out of prison, but would be monitored constantly for the next few months. The Burns would stay as Kairi's legal guardians until she turned eighteen in her senior year, unless the trial could prove that they were truly at fault. However in the mean time, Kairi was to go back to them. It was a… trial period of sorts for the Burns, something about proving that they were fit for raising Kairi.

But to Kairi, it was a trial period of endurance on her part.

She struggled not to think about it.

Tidus greeted her kindly, even offering her his sunny smile when she looked back up at them again. She returned the smile as best she could, but his words shocked her when he addressed her, "Kairi, Sora wants to see you."

Kairi looked at Yuna and Yuna nodded as she added to what Tidus said, "I saw him too. He met up with us earlier after English."

Kairi nodded again before asking her friend silently, 'He's at school today? I didn't see him in our PE class.'

Yuna gave her a half-smile, "He's here. He only arrived late, that's all. If you want to catch him, he'll be waiting for you in the art room. Lulu knows."

'Yuna.'

"Yes?" Yuna asked her.

'I… tell your parents and your brothers that I am very glad to have their love. And… thank you – for being my best friend through all of this.'

Yuna looked at her forlornly before reaching out and hugging Kairi, hard. She did not release Kairi until she spoke softly in her ear, "I'm glad to have met you. You know you will always have a home with us. You will always be my best friend."

Kairi nodded, fighting the tormented tears that were building in her eyes. As she walked away towards the stairwell, she looked behind her only to see Yuna and Tidus still staring at her amidst the moving student body as everyone else struggled to get to their classes or to the lunchroom.

The art room did not take long to get to. For once, she just wanted to get the meeting between her and Sora over with as soon as possible. She wanted to be alone.

Quietly, Kairi entered the classroom. Lulu was not in the room, so Kairi could only guess that she was either at the ladies' room or in the teacher's lounge eating her own lunch there. Sora, however, was already at a potter's wheel concentrating deeply on the blooming clay in his hands. She did not wish to bother him, but before she could turn around and walk away, his voice sliced the silent atmosphere swiftly.

"Wait."

She stopped, and turned back to him, but it took him a moment before he released the pedal so that he could turn around and face her. As he turned the force of his sky blue gaze onto her, she felt her breath catch in her throat. It was as if he could see right through her.

See her deepest, darkest desire that had begun to manifest in her since the day before.

But even if he did see it, he did not seem to acknowledge it. He merely looked away again and leaned over his new pottery to reach for the clay cutter. It seemed that he had observed her well the day before, for he swiftly cut through the clay base, freeing it from the platform the same way she did the last time they were in the art room together.

Turning to her again, Sora asked her to sit down in front of him at one of the tables. While she walked hesitantly towards the appointed chair, she watched Sora as he washed his hands and cleaned up his station. Idly, he finished his work and sat down to face her.

"Kairi," Sora began.

She bit her lip and chewed thoughtfully, not wanting him to see the guilt in her eyes.

"I heard what happened. My mother… was very upset when she told me," he said.

'So?' She asked mutely.

Sora propped his elbows up on the table, and rested his forehead against his clasped hands. He responded quietly, "Are you really going back?"

'I have no choice,' Kairi answered sadly, looking down at her hands with a broken smile, 'I have to… to go back.'

Sora stared silently at her, letting her continue.

'You know… I wish I could just throw it all away,' Kairi told him, 'There's no escape. I can't run away anymore. If I do, the police will only drag me back. I could compromise Yuna and her family. I could anger my adoptive parents. In the end, it would be my fault, and I would be abandoned.'

"What are you trying to say?" he asked.

Kairi shook her head. What she really wanted to say was: _I'm ready to abandon myself._ Of course, she couldn't say that to him though. He would think she was suicidal.

And stop her.

Knowing that she did not want to answer him, Sora steered them off topic, "Is there any work here that you'd like to finish? I can leave if you want me to give you some space. I haven't been down at the lunchroom for a while now."

'Are your friends worried?' Kairi asked him.

Sora smiled a little, "Yeah. But that's because I'm not the same guy they knew before."

'I don't think you're so different,' Kairi told him bluntly. She saw him stare questioningly back at her, so she elaborated for him, 'I thought you changed too. But you're still Sora. You always were yourself, and you can't change who you are. To say you're a different person is not quite accurate.'

"What do you mean?"

Kairi frowned, trying to find the words to explain further, 'Well, you used to bully me so much. I couldn't help but think that you were heartless and evil. But when we were able to understand each other a little more, things changed. Maybe I'm going too far if I say this, but I would consider you as… a friend.'

Sora did not react, making Kairi want to stand up and leave before she twisted her tongue even more. Hastily though, she tried harder to get him to understand, 'What I mean is that things change. Situations change. But people… people don't really change that much.'

"Are you sure you didn't change?" Sora questioned her.

'Me?'

"Yeah, you. You were different when you were little. I remember you before fifth grade. You were quiet, but you were outgoing, and everybody loved you. But then it was like you shrunk away for a couple of years. Then this year, you changed back again to your original self. And now you're shrinking away again."

Kairi was surprised. He… remembered? He had been watching her all along? She should have felt irritated, and maybe even angry with him for pointing out the changes in her. She should have disagreed with him, but she found that she _couldn't_. He was right to say that she did change.

Maybe her theory hadn't been so perfect after all.

Maybe she was wrong when she wanted so badly to not be wrong.

He was destroying her reasons for disappearing.

He was destroying that bit of confidence she needed to_… to find her way again._

The last thing she needed was a change of heart.

'Sora,' Kairi mouthed his name, regretting the fact that she could never taste his name on her tongue. But right now… She didn't need him there, 'Sora, your friends are waiting for you. You should go.'

He stared long and hard at her, but she didn't dare look up in fear that he would see what decision she had made.

"All right."

Kairi held her breath until she was sure he had walked out of the room, the jingling of his key chains on his book bag fading farther and farther away down the hall. In a way, she wished she could have spent more time with him. There were many regrets she had. She wanted to spend more time with Yuna and her family. She wanted to see if she could get her voice back. She wanted to go to college. She wanted to get out there and strike out on her own. She wanted to make her own family some day.

She wanted to die old and painlessly, with her friends and family surrounding her. Yet now, she would never have any of that.

But there was something she could do now, and that was to spur herself onwards to the end – just so that she could begin again. Beyond the darkness was always a light. That could be her new beginning. She was starting to hope that reincarnation or heaven was real – that life after death concept.

_Feels like I'm starting all over again._

_The last three years were just pretend._

Picking up her backpack again, she walked over to the shelf where the Japanese teacup was sitting on. Picking up the little leather hard object in her hands, Kairi could almost imagine feeling Sora's warm hands under hers as she showed him how to make the clay bloom between their hands.

She took a scrap of paper and wrote her plans for how the piece would be finished: _beige undercoat, summer green glaze with speckled gold flecks._ She added as a footnote: _Ask Lulu for the green and gold glaze._

Taking a needle tool from the tools' drawer nearby, Kairi quickly and deftly etched an elegant bamboo design into the gray surface, gently blowing away the clay dust as she finished it.

On the bottom of the teacup, Kairi inscribed in her neat hand writing:

_Crafted by Sora and Kairi._

_For Sora._

_From Kairi._

"_Thank You."_

Setting the suddenly heavy teacup back onto the shelf, she spun on her heel and made her way out of the room towards the forbidden stairwell. She would do the rest of her thinking on the roof. She half ran towards the doors before slowing down and looking around for any stragglers. Seeing that no one had followed her, Kairi slipped through the heavy doors and closed it gently with barely a click.

Once she climbed the steps, she shoved open the rusty door and immediately felt the wind tear at her clothes and her hair, whipping everything into a billowing frenzy. She had never been up to the roof before, but she knew that other students had snuck up there before. It was a good few stories drop from the roof to the bottom.

There was a fence surrounding the edges, but one side had already broken. If she pulled the loose wire fence aside, there would be just enough room for her to stand on the ledge to over look the side of the school facing the west. She looked across the blue skies stretching in all directions as the various white clouds drifted about. Just as a shadow fell over the school grounds, she looked up to see that a thick fluffy cloud had covered up the noonday sun.

Letting her bag drop from her shoulders, Kairi stepped away from it towards the open ledge. Her heart was surprisingly tranquil, she was not afraid of heights. If she could pretend that she was flying, all would be fine. She lifted her foot to the ledge, ignoring the loose shoelace from one of her pink converses as she pulled herself up, using the broken fences on either side of her to lever herself against the wind.

She stared down at the ground far, far below. The tar and cement pavement were mere slivers, like black and white ribbons strewn beneath her feet. In her mind, she heard the words of a song that she had forgotten the name of.

_Of all the things I've believed in, _

_I just want to get it over with._

_Tears form behind my eyes but I do not cry,_

_Counting the days that pass me by._

_I've been searching deep down in my soul._

_Words that I'm hearing are starting to get old._

She could hear everything and nothing at the same time. All she could think about was how happy she would be if she were free – if she could see her parents again and their smiling faces. She tried to picture her mother's face in her minds' eye, and what a smile looked like when it adorned her mother's lovely face.

But she could not imagine her mother smiling at her.

She tried harder, closing her eyes as her body swayed against the cold, howling wind.

Her mom would be so happy to see her again. She had to be.

But why wasn't she smiling at her?

"_**KAIRI!**_"

Kairi spun around suddenly, shaken violently out of her concentration. The thundering voice had scared her out of her wits. She thought she was alone. She had to do this alone.

_Goodbye to you._

_Goodbye to everything I thought I knew._

But it was a big mistake to turn around so suddenly and forget about her untied shoelace. As her hands slipped against the wire fencing, she tipped backwards, the pinnacle move that would begin her pummeling descent.

_And when the stars fall I will lie awake,_

_You're my shooting star._

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A/N: Okay, depressing. I know. But this is drama and romance, you know? Kairi seems to be going overboard in our eyes, but when a person is pushed to that extreme, you won't understand it until you feel it. Right now, she honestly thinks that there is just no way out. Pushed to that brink, even she would slip up on her morals. She does not wish to die, just for the sake of dying. More than anything, she just wants to find a new beginning and happiness somewhere where she feels like she can reach if she surpasses her fear of dying.

Anyway, that was just some light that I wanted to shed for you Woodrow Wilson-characters. Nothing is ever completely black or white, moral or unmoral, when you view it from the inside out.

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Question of the Chapter:

If you describe yourself with a type of candy, what would it be and why?

My Answer:

I would choose Toblerone. It's a huge chocolate candy bar made into big triangular chunks with nougat and other things in it. In essence, it is very hard, but it melts easily. When the chocolate part has melted, the nougat remains in hard, little pieces. Though scattered, they're still able to stick around for a long time.

Eh, figure out the symbolism yourself, will you:)

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Thanks to my Chapter 13 reviewers: kingdomfantasyanime453 , Isabella Swan , .sora.luves.me. , Iridaceae , sorasheart281 , okiegirlforever , SakuraAngel6761 , Wings of Water- SKYE , Akane Naomi , Wind Kunai , vballqueen1792 , Kingdomheartsgirl09 , Ravey13 , doortolight57 , Lamatikah , ffkingdom , estrellaz , KhCrystal , bright-eyesxX , timekeeper1824 , snowyleopard , hoopla37 , Arch-Angel Kairi , -x-StaarGiirl-o- , CerberAsta , Amaya-Admired , paopu-cat , anonymous ; , BlueNobody , White Fire Alchemist , MoonKitty136 , SimplySarah1221 , Nerd4eva , Kittenkid77 , hikari-chan210 , MyLostLight , kairi irl , Sora's GuardianAngel , KAIR1 , BLUE DOG , Dark JaylenX , KarateKairi , HeartFlare05 , toomanyemotions , darkwing13 , Triptic , and roxette143.

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	15. The Pretend Boyfriend

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Chapter 15

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Author: Kintora

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A/N: By the way guys, the song I used in the last chapter was "Goodbye to You" by Michelle Branch. I don't really listen to her, but I thought her lyrics in that one particular song applied to the last chapter. So I used it. Sorry if there was any confusion!

Anyway, I know a lot of you guys were very upset with the last chapter. Yes, Kairi was trying to commit suicide. No, she's not insane. She just went about it the "stupid" way. All she wanted is to get out of the never-ending cycle. You'd want out too if you felt like you were stuck in such a way. It's really quite terrifying. Unfortunately, she's got it in her head that that she had no way out.

Which is why she's going to be…? Well, just read for yourself.

I bet you're all ready to shoot me now. Nyah! Nyah! XD

_**PS: Happy Valentine's Day!**_

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_(Previously)_

_She could hear everything and nothing at the same time. All she could think about was how happy she would be if she were free – if she could see her parents again and their smiling faces. She tried to picture her mother's face in her minds' eye, and what a smile looked like when it adorned her mother's lovely face._

_But she could not imagine her mother smiling at her._

_She tried harder, closing her eyes as her body swayed against the cold, howling wind._

_Her mom would be so happy to see her again. She had to be. _

_But why wasn't she smiling at her?_

"_**KAIRI!**__"_

_Kairi spun around suddenly, shaken violently out of her concentration. The thundering voice had scared her out of her wits. She thought she was alone. She had to do this alone. _

Goodbye to you.

Goodbye to everything I thought I knew.

_But it was a big mistake to turn around so suddenly and forget about her untied shoelace. As her hands slipped against the wire fencing, she tipped backwards, the pinnacle move that would begin her pummeling descent._

And when the stars fall I will lie awake,

You're my shooting star.

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………

Her mind was too shocked to think about anything. All she could do was feel. She could feel the fear. But it wasn't the fear of falling. Her stomach was not flipping and tangling into knots inside of her the way it should be just then. No, she was scared that somebody would come and pull her back. She did not want to go back to a place where she had no choice but to suffer.

She was afraid of Barry Burns and his brutal, meaty fists. She was afraid of Cara Burns and her steel-handled kitchenware. She was afraid of having to go back into that house where they would abuse her over and over again, in places that other people couldn't see or would not find suspicious.

Oh, how she was afraid of the kitchen in the cold, tiny house. She feared burning dinner, and having her hand held over the burners on the cook top as she begged Cara Burns to let go. How she hated seeing a drunken Barry Burns coming into her room in the middle of the night to beat her senseless for no reason, only to leave her curled into a small ball on the floor.

Her breath caught when the one who called her name grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him. She wanted to scream as she threw her weight back towards the open space behind her. Even as she let out a soundless cry, he would not let her go.

With a great tug, Sora pulled Kairi's tipping form away from the ledge. She fell onto him in a painful heap, the back of his head slamming into the cement ground under him as he cushioned their fall. He breathed heavily, but there was no time to stop and pause for a breath. Kairi was struggling to get out of his arms, fighting madly with him, and even scratching his cheek when she drew an uppercut.

Annoyance, fear, rage, relief, pain, frustration, and a million other things flooded his mind and body all at once as he fought to ignore the black dots spotting his vision. Forcefully, he locked Kairi's arms to her sides whilst suppressing the headache pounding at the back of his head. Regaining his senses quickly, he pulled Kairi up roughly by the upper arms and shook her angrily to make her stop.

Kairi felt her neck whiplash, but it was enough to get her to stop clawing at him. His fingers dug deep into her flesh, promising twin sets of purple black bruises if he ever let go. She dropped her head, giving up, and bit her lower lip until she tasted liquid iron.

She lost. She lost…

Her tears dripped endlessly from her pinching eyes, her face pulling an expression of total anguish as she hiccupped and cried silently to herself. She hid her face in the white palms of her bloodless hands, and tried to turn away from Sora as her body shook with wrenching sobs.

"HEY!" Sora viciously shook her again, making her stiff body jolt rigidly. He pulled her up to face him, despite her still sitting on his legs, "GOD DAMNIT, KAIRI! I'D _PUNCH_ SOME FUCKING SENSE INTO YOU IF YOU WEREN'T A GODDAMNED GIRL!"

He inhaled and exhaled sharply, squeezing her arms tighter in anger. Even seeing her in such a pitiable state right now, he did not feel like coddling her. He was angry. Beyond angry.

"What were you even thinking? Huh?!" he roared at her hidden face, drawing her so close by the arms that her knuckles grazed his lips, "You weren't thinking, were you! YOU COULD HAVE GOTTEN US BOTH KILLED!"

'I KNOW, SO LEAVE ME ALONE!' she released her wet face and screamed silently back at him, 'I TOLD YOU TO GO AWAY! I'M NOT SORRY, _YOU HEAR?! _I'M NOT SORRY!"

"Don't you _DARE_ start blaming this on me!" He snarled right back at her, "Don't. You. _DARE!_"

Kairi started to struggle again, pulling her arms away from him and thrashing backwards to get away. Sora growled and used her momentum to change their positions, strattling her waist this time and pinning her wrists to either side of her head. She tried to kick him, but he was well out of her reach. Sora glared down at her with his merciless, storm-gray eyes. He would stay there until she exhausted herself.

It only took Kairi a minute or two to realize that Sora would not relent. She finally stopped, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she stared frozenly to the side, unable to face the blinding intensity in his eyes. Instead, she focused on the white stars spiraling around in her vision like fuzzy snowflakes. She clenched her fists harder until she could feel her nails breaking skin.

Sora continued to glare harshly at her, not freeing her less she try to run herself over the roof again. Slowly, as the minutes passed, he could feel the anger seep away, only to reveal the raw fear that continued to pound his pulsing heart, rattling the bottom of his lungs to the enamel of his teeth. He had to grit his jaw hard and lock the muscles there to prevent his teeth from chattering right out of his mouth. And on top of all that, he was gaining a massive, pent-up headache from the blow to the back of his head.

The bell must have rung… once, twice. Neither of them knew. The time just seemed to keep on dragging out longer and longer. The towers of clouds passing above them must have casted innumerable shadows upon the roof, warming the air and cooling the air as each shadow passed over them.

But everything went on as if nothing happened.

The birds were still chirping and singing in the distance. The wind was still rustling their hair and making the trees murmur. Nothing changed. If either or both of them had fallen from the roof and died, none of their actions would have changed the world around them.

As Kairi calmed down little by little, she began to realize that if she had jumped and accidentally forced Sora over the edge with her, the act would have been significant to them. Significant to the people who cared for them or were connected to them… but it would have been meaningless too – a death among thousands of deaths per day. In a few years, they would have been forgotten by most. But they would have left scars on others.

Yuna, Aore, Braska, the triple terrors… Miss Tifa, Miss Aerith, Lulu… Yuffie and Leon…

Sora's friends… Sora's _mother_ – the poor woman would have never recovered if she had lost her son after losing her husband too.

Aside from her selfish fear of going back to the Burns, Kairi could see her view expanding again. The hours after Yuna and Kairi had found out about the Burns' release from prison, Kairi had been walking in a murky, nightmarish dream. During that time up until Sora saved her, she had been trying to seek an end to it. But it wasn't a dream. It was reality. What she did would affect others, no matter what.

She could help them.

Or she could hurt them.

Yuna's smiling face and her tired, familiar eyes flashed through her mind – and suddenly Kairi was overwhelmed with regret and guilt. Yuna had done so much for her. If Kairi had really killed herself, it would be like throwing all Yuna had ever done for her right down the drain, forever. Her best friend meant the world to her. Without Yuna, Kairi would have given up so much earlier. But because Yuna was there, she had been given some space to breathe.

Kairi started to choke as her hiccups started up again, her renewed tears trailing down the dried, paths cleared by her previous hysterical bout. She released her clenched fists, letting the blood run through them again.

'Oh god…' Kairi shook, as she struggled to bend her legs. She blinked and looked up at Sora, as if seeing him for the first time. 'Oh god,' She repeated silently as she closed her eyes again, feeling her warm tears slide down the sides of her face and seep into her hairline.

Seeing that Kairi was not going to do another crazy stunt again, Sora forced his iron hard grip to release her bruising wrists. Seeing the dark spots beginning to bleed under her skin, he immediately felt a sharp pang of guilt and regret too, but only for hurting her. Maybe he should have tried to get through to her in a different way.

But seeing her lying underneath him, weeping up at the cloudy blue sky made him feel achy and weak. He didn't feel justified for treating her so mercilessly when he did not even try to understand why she had done what she had done. Stiffly, he rose and got off of her. But before she could turn over and curl away from him, he reached out with a gentleness he had never shown before and pulled her quivering, boneless body up against him.

"It's okay now, Kairi," he tried to soothe her, though his voice still came out tight and gruff, "I'm sorry, I really am." He sighed, resting his chin on the crown of her red hair and just rocked them both slightly as he squeezed her, "Come on. It's okay. You're okay now."

Kairi's tattered mind did not have any room to be shocked. She could only turn towards his warmth and grip him back, letting her voiceless screams muffle against the shoulder of his black fleece pullover. Pressing her cold body against him, she continued to shake ceaselessly with racking sobs. She shook her head, trying to speak, trying to say sorry, even knowing that he could not hear her.

"Shh…Kairi, it's over now," Sora shushed her softly. He rubbed circles into her back, not really knowing what else to do. But somehow, it felt right like this. It felt like he was apologizing for not only handling the situation too roughly, but also for the school years of pain he sent her through. More than anything, he wanted to apologize to her over and over again. But he had to say it to her face.

"Kairi," he began, pulling her away from him slightly.

At the same time, she looked up at him and opened her mouth.

'I'm sorry.'

"I'm sorry."

They blinked in surprise at each other after saying the same words simultaneously. But slowly, the surprise melted away as Kairi smiled wordlessly and Sora chuckled a nervous laugh. He spoke again, looking a little sheepish, "I shouldn't have… You're not hurt too bad, are you?"

Kairi rubbed her wrists and arms, fighting the winces from showing on her face. Pressing her lips together tightly, she shook her head. Sora rubbed the back of his head, still ashamed, but muttered a curse when the sharp pain laced through the base of his head, leaving a dull throb to follow after it. Kairi looked on in concern as Sora brought his hand before him to inspect it.

'You're bleeding?' she asked. She frowned. 'You'll need to get it check out by the nurse first. You might even need stitches.'

"Aw, crap. No way," Sora grumbled, looking away as he tried to avoid her worried eyes. He did not feel like he deserved her concern. "It's nothing. My mom would kill me if she found out."

Once again, Kairi felt that stab of guilt and regret again. It was starting to become a familiar feeling to her now.

She tugged on his hand to get his attention once more, 'Well at least go to the bathroom and clean it up. Do you need my help?'

He tried to avoid shaking his head and causing his brain to hurt even more, "No, I'll be okay on my own. It's not like you can follow me into the guys' bathroom anyway."

Kairi nodded hesitantly, looking unsure as they got up off the weathered cement ground, and started to head back towards the heavy doors. But before they could reach it, she pulled Sora back and hugged him tightly around the middle. It did not take him long to close his eyes, and embrace her too.

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The end of the school day arrived sooner than Kairi thought it would. As she stopped by her locker again to grab a few things, she paused and stared at the metal door. After a moment of thinking passed, she finally opened it and reached inside for her lone physics textbook.

It never ceased to make her insides squirm whenever she looked into her near empty locker. Ever since the locker incident passed, her things must have been taken out and discarded somehow. She had not been able to recover anything torn and ruined at all.

When she was done packing, Yuna met up with her just as they were leaving the locker bay.

"Hey, Kairi. Are you okay?" Yuna asked.

'What makes you say that?' Kairi motioned with her hands.

Yuna looked away, "I had a really bad feeling today. You're probably going to think that I am crazy, but I kept feeling like I couldn't let you out of my sight. It's like I was about to lose you or something."

Kairi felt a cold finger touch her heart as she stopped herself from shivering. But Yuna only continued to speak.

"Maybe it's just because you're going back to the Burns' though. After all, you lived with us for a few weeks and you fit into our family so well…" Yuna sighed sadly, "It feels like I'm losing a sister or something."

With her heart pounding, Kairi nodded jerkily. For a second, Kairi was afraid that Yuna would find out about her near death experience on the roof. It made her stomach twist anxiously as she walked silently beside her friend. Subconsciously, Kairi moved her hand to the seashell pendant that her mother had given her, fiddling her cold, sweaty fingers over its glossy white surface.

Yuna spoke up again, "Kairi… Can I walk you home?" Kairi looked up, surprised. She was about to shake her head 'no' when Yuna grabbed her shoulders suddenly.

"_Listen_," Yuna pleaded, her heterochromic eyes beginning to water, "Just let me do this today, okay? I know you don't want me to get anywhere near those people, but I want to do this for you. I can't let you go back to them alone."

_Yuna_… Kairi thought sadly. Slowly, she nodded, 'All right.'

Hundreds of Destiny High's students flocked the school grounds, pouring out of the entrances and hollering above the heads of their peers as the final dismissal bell cleared the afternoon air. Even through the noisy crowd of their fellow teenagers, neither Kairi nor Yuna spoke as a bubble of silence fell between them. As they were about to walk into their neighborhood right outside the perimeter of the school, a voice called out to them.

"Yuna! Kairi!" the voice of familiar sunny jock shouted again, "Wait up!"

Turning to look back, Kairi and Yuna were surprised to see Tidus and Sora running up to them. The two of them looked at each other in confusion, stopping to let to boys catch up. Tidus grinned at Yuna and Kairi, hardly out of breath as spoke up again, "Hey, mind if Sora and I tag along?"

Kairi looked curiously at Sora, noticing that he was trying hard not to look at her at all. When Yuna didn't say anything, Kairi prodded her friend and smiled. Yuna got her message though.

"Yeah, I guess so. I'm just walking Kairi home… You know," Yuna told them hesitantly, "I didn't want her to go home alone." Yuna looked back at Kairi, trying to see what her reaction was.

"Kairi," Sora finally addressed her. Kairi nodded meekly to show that she was listening.

He paused before finally asking her, "Do you really have to go back?"

Again, Kairi nodded, looking down at her pink converses in silence. The afternoon wind blew cold and hard against them, riffling through their hair and sending shivers down Kairi's spine. What could she say to them? There was no other way.

Tidus and Yuna looked oddly at Sora, but Sora paid the two of them no mind. He was beginning to care less and less about what other people thought. He only knew that he had to get through to Kairi.

"You'll be all right," Sora told her. Kairi looked up slowly at him, watching his blue eyes catch the light of the partially clouded sun, "Just be brave and… don't give up. If you get into any trouble, you just have to remember that you're not alone."

As the group of four resumed walking, Yuna and Tidus did most of the talking. Sora seemed to be thinking, his face blank but thoughtful. As Kairi trailed behind them all, she tried to assure to herself that she had more friends than enemies now. But there was still doubt. There was still fear. If she got into trouble and she couldn't save herself like in the past, how would she get help?

What if…

Kairi stifled the thought, trying to focus on holding the fragile unity she felt just then with Yuna, Tidus, and Sora. She couldn't afford to give up confidence now. Not when the Burns' house was approaching them like a looming, ominous shadow. All too soon, they reached the wooden picket fence surrounding the small, yellow yard. Kairi could not even bring herself to look at the house. Not yet.

Yuna and Tidus were looking at her expectantly, not sure if she was going to run away or go inside. Kairi didn't know either. She was just as confused, and still shaking in her shoes. But Sora walked up to her side, putting a hand on her drooping shoulder.

"Remember what I said," he told her. Turning back to Tidus and Yuna, he spoke again, "Hey, I'm going to walk her to the door. You guys stay here for a moment, okay?"

Tidus was about to protest, but Yuna sensed Sora's hidden intention. Nodding, she pulled Tidus away, but not before whispering a good luck to Kairi. Once they were back on the sidewalk again out of earshot, Tidus nudged Yuna.

"Why did you do that?"

Yuna shook her head, and explained, "He wants to be alone with Kairi for a moment. And… once one of the Burns' opens the door, they'll see that Kairi's not alone. Maybe if Sora's there, they'll be reminded not to harm her. I don't know. But I think it's a good precaution. Sora _is_ the son of a police investigator."

Tidus looked around, pouting a bit. "Then what are we standing back here for? We should be up there with them if we want to intimidate the Burns. Ow!"

Yuna stopped pinching his arm, and shook a finger at him. "That's not my point. Anyway, it won't take long, so lets just wait."

Kairi looked back at Tidus and Yuna. She wondered why Yuna had pinched Tidus hard enough to make him jump, but at their distance, she couldn't hear a single thing. Sora caught her attention again as he took her small hand into his bigger palm.

She blinked and asked him, 'What is it?'

Sora looked apprehensive, his expression uncertain. But once he made eye contact with her again, he seemed to renew his resolve, "Kairi, I have something to ask you. But I don't know what you'll think."

She swallowed the lump in her throat, 'Is it something bad?' He was nervous, that much she could see.

"Somehow, we've come around in a 180," Sora pulled his hand back again, making Kairi wish that his warm comforting grip had not left hers. He looked away again, staring up at the sky as if he was about to regret what he would say.

"So why don't I be your boyfriend?"

The wind lifted the fallen leaves from the ground, as the dry yellow grass provided a gentle rustling in the background. A few second passed as Kairi continued to stare in disbelief at Sora.

Sora felt his resolve wither again and tried to reword his suggestion, "It's not like you have to or anything. But maybe we could just pretend to go out. I don't know, I just thought it'd be safer for you if your… if the Burns' thought we were more than just friends or something…" He looked pained, as if he would be slapped for suggesting something so ridiculous.

Kairi tapped Sora on the arm, trying to get his attention again. He finally looked back at her, reading her lips as she spoke with a nervous smile. 'You sure you want to?'

"I wouldn't have asked if I hadn't thought about it," he said, mildly annoyed.

She held her hands up and placated him, 'I'm the school reject, and now you want to date me? Wouldn't that look bad for you?'

Sora crossed his arms, looking away from her, "I don't really care about that right now. I just want to know if you're up for the offer or –"

Kairi didn't know what came over her, but at that moment, she had felt that it was a good idea, pressing her soft lips against his cheek. It felt nice… _right_, kissing his face like that.

He actually cared enough for her to ask such a thing. Somehow, the warm glow of confidence in her shined brighter than ever before. If Sora could be with her, if she could have another friend to count on – that was all she really wanted and could ever ask for. Suddenly remembering that her hands were fisted into the front of his dark fleece shirt, she let go.

But Sora stopped her, placing his hands over hers before moving them behind her back, bringing her closer to him. Resting her face against his warm chest, Kairi let him hug her. Her did not hug her so tightly to the point that she would suffocate, but he hugged her tight enough to take her breath away. She didn't care just then who'd see them like that. She just felt safer, more content as the fear was chased away from her insides – for the moment.

That was all that mattered.

"So you're okay with it?" he asked once more.

She nodded against him and squeezed his lean waist again, trying to make sure that the moment was real, and that she wasn't dreaming. She would forget, very briefly, of the nightmare that lived beyond the door before them. Closing her eyes, Kairi sighed silently. What a crazy day.

But it wouldn't hurt for it to last a little longer… right?

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A/N: What's this? Did I just throw a curve ball at you? I think I did. Well, tell me what you think. Oh, and don't be afraid to admit that I scared some of you. I got plenty of reviews confirming that. XD

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Question of the Chapter:

What is/are the most embarrassing moment(s) in your life that you can remember?

My Answer:

Er… there was this one time when I was five. It happened at a Hallmark store in the mall where I hugged my mom and said, "I love you, mummy." Only to find out that she was not my mom. That was very awkward. But what was even more awkward was the fact that the woman hugged me back…

My other embarrassing moment that I can think of is briefly mentioned in my story, Deja Blue. Namine recalls that back in kindergarten, Hayner and a few of his friends flipping her skirt, just to laugh at her Minnie Mouse underwear. My brother did that to me back in kindergarten too, thus where the idea came from. And before you ask, yes. I admit I cried a whole afternoon because of that. Nobody would stop laughing at me, even the teachers. T…T

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My Tribute of Thank You's to Chapter 14's reviewers: sakuno101 , okiegirlforever , Wings of Water- SKYE , KhanomAna , White Fire Alchemist , kingdomfantasyanime453 , snowyleopard , sorasheart281 , CerberAsta , Kairi and Cloud , xXxCrystalHeartxXx , timekeeper1824 , -x-StaarGiirl-o- , kairi irl , ffkingdom , KhCrystal , BlueNobody , Nerd4eva , Amaya-Admired , MyLostLight , Akane Naomi , Kairi1624 , IL0VEAnime65 , paopu-cat , Lamatikah , HeartFlare05 , Gox19 , Arch-Angel Kairi , vballqueen1792 , Sora's GuardianAngel , estrellaz , , Izzy1o , Aqua-Sirena , x Striiped Raiinbow x , Raxan , MoogleyLover , allyson , pinktonks , butaNENG , KAIR1 , cherrybomb10295 , and sakuno55 .

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	16. A Bugged Confession

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Chapter 16

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Author: Kintora

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A/N: My… I haven't updated this in a while. 'Round, and 'round, and 'round she goes. Where she stops, nobody knows. That's how I've been feeling for the past couple of months. That's right – I feel like used toilet paper being flushed down the toilet. It's not fun when you don't know where you'll end up.

Anyway, the good thing is that I have updated this for you guys. Enjoy the chapter!

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_(Previously)_

"_So why don't I be your boyfriend?"_

_The wind lifted the fallen leaves from the ground, as the dry yellow grass provided a gentle rustling in the background. A few second passed as Kairi continued to stare in disbelief at Sora. _

_Sora felt his resolve wither again and tried to reword his suggestion, "It's not like you have to or anything. But maybe we could just pretend to go out. I don't know, I just thought it'd be safer for you if your… if the Burns' thought we were more than just friends or something…" He looked pained, as if he would be slapped for suggesting something so ridiculous._

_Kairi tapped Sora on the arm, trying to get his attention again. He finally looked back at her, reading her lips as she spoke with a nervous smile. 'You sure you want to?'_

"_I wouldn't have asked if I hadn't thought about it," he said, mildly annoyed._

_She held her hands up and placated him, 'I'm the school reject, and now you want to date me? Wouldn't that look bad for you?'_

_Sora crossed his arms, looking away from her, "I don't really care about that right now. I just want to know if you're up for the offer or –"_

_Kairi didn't know what came over her, but at that moment, she had felt that it was a good idea, pressing her soft lips against his cheek. It felt nice… __right__, kissing his face like that. _

_He actually cared enough for her to ask such a thing. Somehow, the warm glow of confidence in her shined brighter than ever before. If Sora could be with her, if she could have another friend to count on – that was all she really wanted and could ever ask for. Suddenly remembering that her hands were fisted into the front of his dark fleece shirt, she let go._

_But Sora stopped her, placing his hands over hers before moving them behind her back, bringing her closer to him. Resting her face against his warm chest, Kairi let him hug her. Her did not hug her so tightly to the point that she would suffocate, but he hugged her tight enough to take her breath away. She didn't care just then who'd see them like that. She just felt safer, more content as the fear was chased away from her insides – for the moment._

_That was all that mattered._

"_So you're okay with it?" he asked once more._

_She nodded against him and squeezed his lean waist again, trying to make sure that the moment was real, and that she wasn't dreaming. She would forget, very briefly, of the nightmare that lived beyond the door before them. Closing her eyes, Kairi sighed silently. What a crazy day. _

_But it wouldn't hurt for it to last a little longer… right?_

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Kairi didn't want to let go, but she had to. This would be the moment of truth. If her stepparents were really inside waiting for her, what would they say? More importantly, what would they do? She knew that they would be under constant surveillance one way or another, but Kairi couldn't help but be nervous.

"Kairi," Sora stopped her a second, "I almost forgot. I talked to my mom about this, and she said it might help you." Reaching into his blue messenger bag, Sora took out a narrow, dark object and slipped it into her hand.

Kairi opened her palm to stare at the little electronic device.

'A digital recorder?' Kairi asked silently.

Sora nodded, "Just in case you have trouble proving anything they say or do to you, you can use whatever it records as incriminating evidence."

'I thought that kind of evidence can't be used in court. Don't my stepparents need to know they are being recorded in order for the evidence to be viable?' Kairi felt worried.

"It depends on what they may say or do," Sora explained, "Anyway, that will be for the law to decide. Just keep it on you at all times, okay? Here's how you work it." He pressed the red recording button, "You just press the button next to it to stop recording."

Kairi bit her lip, but put the recorder into her back pocket for safe-keeping. Looking at Sora again, Kairi gave him a quick smile before turning to the door and shoving her old house key into the lock. There was the familiar, but cold clicking sound as the door unlocked. Silently counting to ten in her head, Kairi waved goodbye to her friends and brushed her way past the doorframe and into the chilly house.

Nobody seemed to be home. Her eyes darted around before she deemed it safe to dash toward the closest window to watch her friends behind the glass. Yuna and Tidus caught her eyes and waved at her from beyond the fence. Sora had been walking down the small walkway when he too turned around to look at her.

To her brief surprise, Kairi saw him smile at her before turning back towards Yuna and Tidus.

Once they were out of sight, Kairi looked down at her feet, letting the pale drapes fall again. The fear of being alone threatened to make her run outside again, but remembering that she wasn't truly alone helped her straighten up and renew her resolve. She would not let the fear rule her and drive her over the edge again. If she did, there would be no Sora pulling her back. Shaking her head, she made her way to the stairs.

Upon reaching her bedroom and opening the closed door, Kairi almost had a heart attack.

There, sitting on the edge of her bed was her stepmother – unkempt hair, pursed lips, frown lines, and all. She immediately turned her attention to Kairi once she opened the door, and the poor girl couldn't help but feel a cold wave of fear break over her. It took everything she had in her not to bolt right out of the room. Steeling herself, Kairi reminded herself that as long as she was careful, neither of her stepparents could hurt her. Besides, the police were watching, right?

They were. They had to be.

"Wipe that look off your face," her stepmother snapped coldly, though her voice sounded more tired than anything else, "I'm not here to hit you."

Kairi gulped silently as she nodded. The stiffness in her neck made her nod seem jerky.

"You know exactly why we took you in," Cara spoke curtly, cutting to the chase, "We needed the money. You needed a home. But did you ever wonder why the Lescas couldn't adopt you the first time around?"

If Kairi wasn't already dumb to begin with, she would have been struck dumb just then.

"We never told you this. We never felt the need to. But you are my sister's daughter." The frizzle-haired woman smiled thinly, "My precious, gorgeous sister was ever the happy one. Mother and father adored her. They gave her everything she wanted! She even found herself a wonderful husband, becoming the wife of a rich Japanese doctor. He was handsome. Smart. And then she had you. She had always wanted a daughter. Everything was just picture perfect for her."

Kairi stared wide-eyed at her stepmother; no, her biological aunt. She was still having trouble processing it. But things were beginning to make sense. She remembered that Yuna had once told her how Braska and Aore had tried to adopt her before… the keyword being 'tried.'

"I see you're finally getting it," Cara sneered, her nose wrinkling. Despite her nasty voice, Kairi could tell when someone was holding back angry tears.

"She had it all! It was all so _disgustingly_ beautiful. On the other hand, I was always the one left behind – completely overshadowed by her. She did everything so well, so effortlessly. I had to work so hard I almost killed myself, just to get half of the same praises she got. She was beautiful. I was plain. She found a great husband. I found a rotten bastard."

Cara's eyes really did water now, and Kairi didn't know what to feel as she stood rooted at the door. Why was this all just coming out now?

"But I… I had a daughter," Cara swallowed and continued hoarsely, "My baby girl. My little angel… For two years, I thought I was completely happy because at least, I had her. But she grew sick. I watched the light slip from her eyes as she laid in her hospital bed like some a baby doll. On the same day of her death, you were born in another hospital." Cara's voice grew steadily angrier again, "You, my sister's perfect, little _half-breed_ daughter. _YOU_ lived, while my little girl died."

Kairi felt a lump grown in her throat as she squeezed the book bag strap in her hands.

"It was like you took her life. As if fate traded her life for yours," Cara hissed, rising from the bed.

Kairi jolted suddenly as if trying to wake up from a very bad dream. Her muscles coiled tightly, ready to spring for an exit if her deathly, angry aunt decided to lunge.

"So you see now, it was only a matter of time," Cara smiled mirthlessly as she shook. Angry tears welled in her bloodshot eyes and fell down her face, "It wasn't hard to tamper with cars. Read some manuals, ask some questions, and learn some things. The brakes in your parents' car became disabled at the perfect moment. I had been hoping that all three of you would die. But you… You survived."

Numbly, Kairi swayed slightly where she stood. All thoughts of fleeing left her head. All she could feel was the tingling of blood rushing into all the tiny blood vessels in her hands, fingers, feet, and toes. Some kind of emotion she could not bottle threatened to burst forth from the pit of her stomach. She couldn't figure out what it was, nor did she care to.

"Imagine my surprise when I discovered this. At first, I was infuriated that you cheated death. But, you know how the adoption process goes. The closest relative with suitable accommodations gets first dibs on the orphan. It only added to my revenge that I would get your parents' money as well as their lives. In return, I had to keep you. So what did I do? If I couldn't make you go to hell, I made your _life_ your personal hell."

Cara Burns started for Kairi, making Kairi back up until she was completely out of the way. The taller woman gave her one final glare, as if debating whether she should hurt her or not, before walking briskly by Kairi without another word. Kairi watched her go, the air around Cara looking as if it were being warped and bleached at the edges.

Then again, Kairi couldn't tell if it was only her eyes playing tricks on her. She could feel her blood pulsing to her head with every beat of her heart. With each pulse, her vision would beat and shake a little, as if her eyes had hearts of their own.

That was how… angry she was. Perhaps, there wasn't even a word to describe the rage she felt. She stood, waiting to calm down, and debating on what to do. But mostly, Kairi just wanted to disappear all over again. Minutes, maybe hours went by, but upon realizing that the floor was not going to swallow her up, she willed her feet to move.

Silently, Kairi let herself into her room again and shut the door, locking it. Dropping her bag on the ground, Kairi fell back heavily against her stiff, spring-less mattress. She stared at the pale ceiling and willed herself to calm down. But try as she would, she couldn't get comfortable for something kept poking her from behind.

Reaching under her, Kairi pulled out the black digital recorder and stared at it. She wanted to throw something. And if she didn't see the little, red recording button still pressed down, she probably would have thrown it.

She stopped its recording.

Not wanting Cara to hear anything, Kairi stuck her hand into the folds of her backpack and pulled out the new purple ear buds that Yuna's parents had gotten her earlier that week. Not hearing anything in the hall, Kairi plugged in her ear phones and listened. As the recorder started up, Kairi tuned in to the soft humming sound with rapt attention.

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Barry returned home late, drunk as hell, and extremely irritable. However, he made no attempt to take a swing at Kairi, and she was just fine with that. He threw some dirty words at her, but it wasn't like she cared as long as he didn't bloody her up with his fists. Still, she stayed up most of the night, half expecting him to storm through her door and beat her to a pulp.

Luckily, he never came.

Kairi didn't dare see her stepmother that night, lest something trigger a volatile situation. For the first time, Kairi had felt more worried about her own reaction than Cara's. The violent, erupting feeling she had felt clawing at her insides earlier had taken a tremendous amount of concentration to suppress. If Kairi hadn't made the effort to do so, she didn't know how badly her emotional explosion would have been carried out.

Would she have lost control of her fury? Killing another person had scared her from actually killing Barry the last time he was chasing her around in the school. What still scared her was that she had thought of a million different ways to kill both of them in the time she spent in her little, drafty room. Remembering back to the spilt moment when Kairi had debated on bashing in Barry's skull, Kairi couldn't help but shiver. She wanted to see blood. She wanted to see his body twitch, the same way hers after every punch thrown her way. The anger, the burning desire to mangle… was the same feeling that boiled in her stomach during the encounter with Cara.

Only this time, Kairi's reason to feel angry wasn't because she had been abused. With Cara, the pain, hatred, and rage had surged one hundred times more than the anger she had felt during the incident with her stepfather.

Kairi had no doubt that if she had lost control for one second in her room earlier with her stepmother, she was sure one of them would have ended up dead. Sure, Cara was insane if anything. But she lost a daughter, just as Kairi lost her parents. In Cara's deranged mind, Kairi had been equally responsible for her daughter's death as Cara had been for the death of Kairi's parents.

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Before the sun was even up, Kairi was up and out of the house, heading towards Yuna's. She was finally glad to be out of her tiny, confined bedroom and out onto the wide, breezy streets of her neighborhood. Shivering a little, Kairi huddled further into her shapeless hood. Due to the chilly, morning air, Kairi had to choose a thick, lumpy sweatshirt from her collection of secondhand wardrobe. The orange was frayed and dirty-looking, but at least it didn't have any holes.

Her pink converses scraped against the gritty sidewalk as Kairi shuffled through the quiet neighborhood. Only a few early risers were seen coming out of their houses in their bunny slippers and bathrobes as the paper boy threw wads of newspaper onto their driveways. Kairi ducked as the boy's aim faltered, sending the newspaper roll whizzing just over her head. She shot the boy on the bike a dirty look, but he had already gone; the sound of his bike bell dying in the dark wind.

Kairi jogged the rest of the way to Yuna's house, swinging herself over the low fence. She sprinted over the small green yard and slowed as she neared the side door. Sitting down on the single, stone step, Kairi waited. She knew Yuna would appear at seven.

Putting her weight against her hands behind her, Kairi leaned up and looked up into the slowly, awakening sky. Crows cawed in the distance, but she couldn't see any signs of birds in the wispy, pink-blue sky. However, if she squinted, she could catch the disappearing stars as they twinkled faintly in the fading, navy canvas.

Her lips formed a thin smile as she thought of her parents, watching over her from the stars. Her eyes burned and prickled as her nose grew stuffier by the second. Blinking a little, Kairi ignored the tightness in her chest. It was just cold, she reminded herself. After all, it was almost winter. Mornings would only get colder.

Closing her eyes against the frigid air, Kairi let her head fall further back as she sank deeper into her thoughts. Images of people and things flashed through her mind. Even the disjointed dreams and feelings she sometimes felt, flickered along the edges of her strained mind. As she struggled to calm the storm of flurrying, yet untouchable thoughts, Kairi tried to imagine her parents again.

If only she could see them, and talk to them… If only they were still alive.

Kairi strained her ears, her brows pinching in effort as she thought of their voices, the sound of their laughter. She could still imagine her father's gentle, brown eyes as he lifted her up into his arms. She could still remember the feeling of her mother's warm hands caressing her cheeks every night before she fell asleep. But she couldn't hear them anymore.

She was beginning to forget what their voices sounded like. She was even starting to forget their faces.

Dredging up every memory she had of her parents, she tried to imagine them smiling at her. She wondered if they were happy for her. If there was a wish she could make come true right then, she would have wished more than anything to feel their arms hugging her, wrapping her up into their warm embrace.

In her mind's eye, Kairi saw a flicker of movement on her mother's lips – the faintest smile.

Kairi let out a sigh as she sat up straight again. At least her mother was not frowning like yesterday. She could still remember the disappointment and sadness in every line of her mother's face as she tilted herself recklessly over the school's roof. Somehow, the thought of not earning her parents' pride and love had struck her heart stock still, making her question for just the briefest moment whether she was doing the right thing or not.

Clearly, her mother and father didn't want her to jump off the roof so she could be with them. Smiling a little, Kairi at least knew a little bit of what her parents wanted of her. Her mother's slight smile proved it, and that was all Kairi needed to cling to; to know that living was the right answer.

The only doubt left in her was what she would do with her life.

Kairi had somewhat planned for her future. Maybe become an artist or a teacher… or someone of a respectable status. But she felt the intimidation that things might not work out the way she wanted them to, because of her disability. It twisted her gut with some cold anxiety. Yet there were still more pressing matters to attend to.

First, she had to find justice. Cara had literally murdered her family, and Kairi could not forgive her. But what could she do to right all that had been wronged? One informal confession couldn't sustain a whole argument, though it could provide some back up to the case she would build. It was better than nothing.

At least, she had somewhere to start.

A rusted, squeaking sound startled Kairi out of her musings as the white kitchen door swung open revealing a very sleepy Yuna. If Kairi hadn't gotten up, the poor girl might have tripped over her. But the instant Yuna saw Kairi, she immediately snapped awake; firing off a barrage of questions as she grabbed Kairi by the sleeve and shoved her into the warm kitchen.

"Why didn't you knock?" Yuna asked as she scuttled around the kitchen, brewing them both some hot chocolate, "It's totally freezing outside!"

Kairi smiled, gesturing sheepishly with her hands, 'I didn't want to wake you guys up.'

"You know what we're like every morning," Yuna said as she set some homemade banana muffins before her friend, "One of us will be up to grab the newspaper. You wouldn't have woken us."

'I guess I just needed some time to think then,' Kairi told her. She took a bite out of the bread, the soft muffin practically melting in her mouth, 'Wow, thanks! This is really good.'

Yuna grinned broadly, her duel-colored eyes brightening, "I take it you skipped breakfast at your place," she turned serious, "Speaking of which, how did yesterday go?"

Kairi swallowed the piece of banana bread in her mouth thickly; suddenly not so hungry anymore. She dug into her jeans and took out the slender digital recorder, 'It… it might help. If you could… could you save it to your computer later? But first, listen to this.'

Yuna looked curiously at the recorder, "Where'd you get it?"

'Sora,' Kairi answered, 'But that's not the point.'

Yuna looked into Kairi's eyes, sensing the dread and profound sadness in her friend. Turning the recorder in her hand, Yuna pressed play and listened to the Cara's voice. As she listened, Kairi sat quietly by, listening with her. Each word that Kairi heard felt like knives piercing her insides every time. She would never get used to it. Kairi shut her eyes and squeezed her fingers together till they prickled and hurt; and all the while, trying not to squirm.

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A/N: This part of the story is a sort of turning point, so it will start to pick up a little faster. I know some of you want to see Kairi's stepparents get locked up or put to death. Well, you'll see what happens to them in the later chapters. The other good side is that Sora and Kairi's little "pretend relationship" won't stay pretend for too long… :)

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Question of the Chapter:

List your most favorite to least favorite seasons. If you want to, go ahead and explain.

My Answer:

Mine is autumn, winter, summer, and spring. My birthday and Halloween (my favorite holiday) are both in fall. Winter comes second because I prefer the cold, especially when it snows. My car hates it, but I love it. Summer is watermelon season, but it's still too hot and humid for my taste. And I hate spring, period. Allergies kill me, and the geese returning from the south poop everywhere. It's just gross.

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Many thanks to Chapter 15's reviewers: soraloveskairi159 , Alantie Mistaniu , -x-StaarGiirl-o- , Gakushi , White Fire Alchemist , maluka , CerberAsta , xXxCrystalHeartxXx , Akui Ni Michita Hana , kingdomfantasyanime453 , Sora's GuardianAngel , Wings of Water - SKYE , sakuno55 , ffkingdom , doortolight57 , BlueNobody , Raxan , sorasheart281 , eCZi , Kingdomheartsgirl09 , KhanomAna , Aqua-Sirena , Glimmer of Brutality , lamatikah , Gippal the Pimp , vballqueen1792 , Shadow Wolf Princess24 , paopu-cat , okiegirlforever , Akane Naomi , nien317 , RoxasxLoverxDarius , IL0VEAnime65 , crystalnami , Bobsies , Gox19 , allyson , scrimmage-of-love , KairiCakes , cheychey41 , xxxGothic Angelxxx , xTwilightxDestinyx , jcola0823 , Izzyv1o , CerberusFang93 , Chibi Neko-Chan2 , darkrystalangel , hwdbz , David , bepsey007 , Solette , thepurplemaiden , Meep Forever , Lina Mistress of Elements , AquaFlameElementalist , and Hinata-chan 63.

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	17. When the Sky Falls Down

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Chapter 17

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Author: Kintora

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A/N: I just noticed that this story has been 5 years in the making, and it only has 16 chapters – now 17. Sorry guys, but multi-tasking is not easy, as you can tell. Even if I'm on vacation now, I still find myself getting tied up with everything else I do. So here's my gift to you; a summer update for this story. **Keep a look out though! I'm working on _Deja Blue_ next.**

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_(Previously)_

_First, she had to find justice. Cara had literally murdered her family, and Kairi could not forgive her. But what could she do to right all that had been wronged? One informal confession couldn't sustain a whole argument, though it could provide some back up to the case she would build. It was better than nothing. _

_At least, she had somewhere to start._

_A rusted, squeaking sound startled Kairi out of her musings as the white kitchen door swung open revealing a very sleepy Yuna. If Kairi hadn't gotten up, the poor girl might have tripped over her. But the instant Yuna saw Kairi, she immediately snapped awake; firing off a barrage of questions as she grabbed Kairi by the sleeve and shoved her into the warm kitchen._

"_Why didn't you knock?" Yuna asked as she scuttled around, brewing them both some hot chocolate, "It's totally freezing outside!"_

_Kairi smiled, gesturing sheepishly with her hands, 'I didn't want to wake you guys up.'_

"_You know what we're like every morning," Yuna said as she set some homemade banana muffins before her friend, "One of us will be up to grab the newspaper. You wouldn't have woken us."_

'_I guess I just needed some time to think then,' Kairi told her. She took a bite out of the bread, the soft muffin practically melting on her tongue, 'Wow, thanks! This is really good.'_

_Yuna grinned broadly, her duel-colored eyes brightening, "I take it you skipped breakfast at your place," she turned serious, "Speaking of which, how did yesterday go?"_

_Kairi swallowed the piece of banana bread in her mouth thickly; suddenly not so hungry anymore. She dug into her jeans and took out the slender digital recorder, 'It… it might help. If you could… Could you save it to your computer later? Just listen to this first though.'_

_Yuna looked curiously at the recorder, "Where'd you get it?"_

'_Sora,' Kairi answered, 'But that's not the point.'_

_Yuna looked into Kairi's eyes, sensing the dread and profound sadness in her friend. Turning the recorder in her hand, Yuna pressed play and listened to the Cara's voice. As she listened, Kairi sat quietly by, listening with her. Each word that Kairi heard felt like knives piercing her insides every time. She would never get used to it. Kairi shut her eyes and squeezed her fingers together till they prickled and hurt; and all the while, trying not to squirm._

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Before she knew it, two weeks had passed. Since then, she had avoided Cara and Barry Burns like they were the plague. Kairi would only show her face now and then, to let them know she wasn't sneaking out or anything. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't help but feel anger boiling in her veins every time she saw her foster parents – especially Cara.

She had never been a violent person, but Kairi shocked herself with the amount of malicious thoughts that swarmed her mind every time she thought of them. It was like a disease, poisoning her mind with creative thoughts of how to murder the,; each thought more violent and cruel than the last. She would become so restless at night that she could hardly sleep at all, in fear of acting any bloody scenarios out.

When she was at school, she worked feverishly to block out the stress and anger. Luckily, school really was becoming more like a safe haven than anything else.

Kairi didn't feel any particular change in her relationship with Sora at first. But she could sense that the wall between them was breaking down, brick by brick. Just a while ago, they didn't even meet each other's eyes in the hall. But after a week after agreeing to "go out" together, they began to greet each other to the surprise of others. The attention made her feel uneasy, so she kept that to a minimum. The only time she didn't feel self-conscious was when Sora would spend three lunch periods a week with her in the art room, and when he would walk her back to her house after school.

With each day that passed, Kairi realized that having friends really was what saved her.

After showing both Sora and Yuna the recording of Cara's cruel confession, he began to warm up even more. She wouldn't forget the looks on their faces when they heard her stepmother's voice. Yuna was shell-shocked, and too angry to speak. Sora's eyes just hardened even more, though he too remained quite silent. She could still remember what Sora did say after his moment of silence though.

"Unfortunately, it's not enough to warrant an arrest," he told them, "But it is motive for murder. The police will definitely conduct an investigation. Even though all the mechanical evidence has been gone for years, they might be able to do something."

'I know,' Kairi agreed, dejectedly, 'There has to be a way somehow.'

Sora ran a hand through his chocolate brown hair out of a habit, "We'll find it. The police are still looking into your case after all. I'll download the voice recording onto the computer and send it to my mom. She'll know what to do. Meanwhile, keep that recorder on you at all times. It'll help you dig up dirt."

There wasn't much luck after that though. Kairi didn't dare try confronting the Burns willingly. That was suicide. Who knows, she might end up doing some she regretted once Cara and Barry Burns' backs were turned.

So all Kairi could do was try to stay optimistic, even if she couldn't bring herself to smile. Every attempt only turned out looking like a grimace. After all, it was beginning to feel like there would never be enough information to bring justice.

And sometimes, Kairi would think that Sora understood her silence better than anyone else. Where Yuna and Tidus had tried to cheer her up by bringing up other topics, such as the Arts Fair or Christmas Dance, Sora just let her be. All she needed was someone to be there.

Kairi shook her head as she waited by Yuna's locker at the end of the day. She couldn't compare Sora and Yuna together. It was wrong. Both of them had different ways of showing their concern. The point was that they both cared. All she needed was somebody who cared.

The next thing she needed was closure. She just hoped that Sora's copy of the recording would be enough to remove her from the Burns' custody. Detective Risado was already doing everything in her power to help. She even gave Kairi her emergency number. Any day now, there would be an answer. And every day, her friends stuck with her and encouraged her.

Trying to end her life had definitely been the wrong thing to do. She understood now. Her purpose was to live and fight. She would bring light to what really happened the night her parents died.

"Hey Kairi," Yuna said as she met her friend, "Tidus wanted to go out for a movie and maybe grab some dinner. You want to come along?"

'That sounds more like a date,' Kairi began uncertainly, 'I don't want to intrude on you guys.'

Yuna yanked her locker open and began to exchange her books and folders, "That's why Tidus is asking Sora right now. It'll be like a double date."

'But...'

"If you don't feel comfortable, we can all go on a group date. I got a few chances to talk to Wakka and Rikku. They're actually not bad people, provided they just liked practical jokes. They want to apologize for the things they've done to us in the past, and wish they can do something to make up for their actions," Yuna explained, her eyes pleading with Kairi, "You can really get to know Sora's friends this way."

'I know,' Kairi relented as she tried to bottle the butterflies in her stomach, 'I just don't know how I can communicate with them. It's hard... having to rely on you and Sora to do that for me.'

Yuna nodded, "I don't want to push you, but this just might be the chance you need to get out there and meet other people. Why don't you bring a notebook with you to write on?"

'Okay... I'll go,' Kairi motioned, 'But how will I get my foster parents to let me go? They hate it when I return late.'

"Maybe Sora can help you with that," Yuna suggested.

"Maybe I can help Kairi with what?"

Yuna smiled as she and Kairi turned around, to face Sora and Tidus. "Speak of the devil."

"Hey Yuna," Tidus said, grinning at her. He flashed Kairi a smile too, "What do you say, Kairi? You wanna go with us?"

Kairi nodded, but bit her lip.

"What's wrong?" Sora asked.

She mouthed her words at him, 'Could you... ask my foster parents for me? I'm afraid they won't let me go. They get really annoyed with paper messages.' Kairi looked down, feeling a embarrassed.

"I don't see why not," Sora told her as he took her hand. He turned to face Yuna and Tidus, "Did the other guys want to go too?"

"Wakka and Rikku are free," Yuna nodded, earning a surprised look from the boys.

Tidus smiled and shrugged, happy that she was getting along with his friends. "Selphie as a date with her boyfriend already. And I didn't hear back from Riku yet. He left school already, so I left a text on his cell." He flipped open his own phone, "And would you look at that. He says he's working tonight, but said to have fun."

"All right," Sora said, "Why don't we all meet up at the theater at six then? I need to talk to the Burns first and then drop off dinner for my mom."

Yuna and Tidus agreed, so the two pairs parted ways.

Some students still stared wide-eyed at Sora as he led Kairi out of the school with a hand on her shoulder. They must have looked like such a mismatched pair. Sora rarely dated, but when he did, it was usually a beautiful girl clinging to his arm. Kairi considered herself as nothing of the sort.

The only nice things on her were her pink converses and purple backpack. Her old jeans were fraying at the ends and her big sweatshirt looked more gray than light blue. She just didn't think she'd ever get used to the attention.

Kairi was dragging her feet, and Sora knew it. When they were about to turn onto her street, he stopped and turned to talk to her.

"Why are you so nervous?"

Kairi sighed silently, 'I've never really talked to them before and... every time I try, they just get annoyed.'

"Annoyed?" Sora asked, wondering what she was hiding.

'Yeah,' Kairi shrugged, nervously stuffing her free hand into the pocket of her sweatshirt, 'I used to try writing messages for them to read. You know, for school – parent-teacher conferences, medical forms... They just... told me to do that stuff on my own.' Try as she might, she couldn't get her hands to stop shaking.

Sora didn't speak for a moment, trying to identify the emotions flickering across her face. Something was definitely wrong, and then it struck him.

"Kairi, did they hurt you?" his eyes hardened, "If they did, tell me."

His words had a strange way of making her want to tell the truth. Just then, she wished she was a turtle. That way, she could stick her head into her shell and pretend that she hadn't heard him. His hand tightened around hers when she tried to slip her fingers from his grip.

"Kairi..." he began again, more softly this time.

'Cara, my... my aunt. She gets really angry sometimes. I once tried to write her a message, back when I first started living with them. She said she didn't believe I was mute,' Kairi was visibly trembling now. She breathed deeply before continuing, 'So she held my hand against the tea kettle while it was boiling, saying... saying that she'd believe me if I couldn't scream.'

Kairi couldn't bring her eyes up to meet his, digging her left hand further into the front of her shirt.

Sora could only stare wordlessly at her in shock. He knew they treated her horribly, but he didn't know how bad. Without a word, he flipped over her cold right palm, knowing that the burn had to be there somewhere. But, Kairi shook her head.

'The other one,' she swallowed, tentatively pulling out her clammy left hand. With surprising gentleness, he took it and flipped over to see her palm.

The white scar spanning over her palm was years old, although it was still quite visible. He could only imagine what the original second degree burns must have looked like. His thumb ran over the rough texture of the scar on her small hand. Kairi couldn't help but shiver as he slowly dropped her hand. It was almost strange having him caress her hand.

"I never noticed it," he said, his voice hiding the thinly veiled frustration he felt, "All this time, and I didn't know."

Kairi looked up at him, only to see that he was still staring at her hand. She waved her hand in front of him, bringing his attention back to her.

'It's nothing really, Sora. I've had the scar for years. And even if anybody asked about it, I told just told them it was an accident,' she assured him.

"No, it's not just that burn," he said, sitting down on the curb. Kairi looked at him questioningly as she took a seat beside him.

Sora stared at the empty street, before fisting a hand into his hair. He kept his head low as he squeezed his eyes shut. A thousand questions ran through his mind, but he didn't even know where to start. He could only wallow in silence, unable to even look at her. And though his actions only made Kairi feel more confused, she rested a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it, to let him know things were better now.

"I'm..." Sora began, staring at his feet. He couldn't stop thinking about the terrible things he said to her.

"_Are your feet really that interesting to look at?" he asked sarcastically. _

"_Hey? You can hear, right? It's just a bunch of crap. You can fix it all later," he said uncertainly as she knelt before the ruined papers around her._

"_Looks like someone's off to a bad start this morning. Hey, how are you doing? You need a hand or something?" he taunted her, "Oh, wait. I forgot. She can't even speak, can she?" _

How could he have been so cruel to her? He thought he knew her back then... but he really didn't. He never really did. He just thought it was fun and games, but now that he really thought about the things he said, nothing he did could ever justify what he did.

And what made it worse was that she never complained. She never retaliated. Sure, she got annoyed and angry, but the only time she ever confronted him was when she whacked him across the face in the beginning of the school year. It was also the only time he began to feel bad... and that was also when the truth about her life began to come out.

His skin crawled just thinking about it.

And when she had come so close to committing suicide on the roof... he was probably one of the leading factors for that. If he hadn't been so heartless towards her, making her life hell at school, maybe she wouldn't have even thought about it. His self-righteousness really made him sick, now that he thought back to that fateful afternoon.

What if Kairi died that day? Would he have ever deserved forgiveness? Does he even deserve forgiveness now?

No, he decided. He didn't deserve any forgiveness, especially not from her.

So how could she stand being near him now? How could she have forgiven him so easily after he tormented her for so long?

Feeling Kairi's gentle hand on his shoulder was what brought real tears to his eyes. He touched his face, and felt the tear streaks to his surprise. Embarrassed, he turned his head so that she couldn't see his face even if she tried. That was when he realized that...

He never cried.

Not since his father died.

"Oh god," Sora sucked in a breath as he folded his hands over his face, his body trembling as he doubled forward. If his dad could only see him now – see what he has done – what would he think? His dad was handicapped just like Kairi. If he had been responsible for her death, he might as well have been responsible for his father's death too.

Kairi was growing very worried. Nothing she seemed to do was helping him. She didn't know why he was feeling so awful. If she really had to admit it... It frightened her, seeing Sora curled up with his head against his knees. He was normally so full of confidence and pride that his weakened state made him look so unfamiliar. She didn't know if her scar had triggered a traumatic memory or whatnot. She just didn't know what to do.

'Sora. Sora!" she mouthed his name uselessly. She moved so that she could keel down in front of him, as if she were trying to talk to a child.

Grabbing his shoulders, she shook him. When that didn't work, she put her hands over his and gently tried to pry them away. After a while, she gave up trying to see his face. Just then, she didn't care if anyone saw them.

Leaning towards him, she put her arms around him and pressed her lips against the top of his head. Her arms moved, rubbing his back comfortingly – trying to remember exactly how her mother used to comfort her after a bad dream... how Yuna's mother had comforted her when she told them what happened.

Kairi sighed softly, rocking them both. The cold wind had picked up, blowing over them and lifting her long garnet hair from her scalp. A few minutes of cold silence passed. Kairi just hoped that even though Sora couldn't hear them, he still heard the words she couldn't say aloud.

"Why?" he suddenly asked. It was so quiet that she almost mistook his voice for the wind. "Why are you helping me?"

She looked down in quiet confusion as she slowly loosened her hold on him. Although his hands were no longer folded over his face, she still couldn't see his eyes, for his bangs still hid them from view. There was no way she could answer him, even though she desperately wanted to.

Keeping him at arm's length, she ducked her head a little, trying to make eye contact with him. What she did see only shocked her momentarily before her heart went out to him. So he had been crying...

Without warning, Sora pulled her into his arms and buried his face against her shoulder. She pat his back, ignoring the little pieces of gravel digging into her knees. He could only tighten his arms around her.

"I'm sorry. I'm so... so sorry," he swallowed thickly, his voice muffled slightly by her sweatshirt, "All these years, I only helped make your life a living nightmare. It's like I helped those bastards! If my father was still alive, if he could see me now... God, he'd hate me so much..."

Kairi shook her head, her own eyes starting to tear up. She pulled away from him, taking his pained face into her hands. Using a frumpy sleeve, she carefully dabbed his cheeks dry. Seeing that she had his attention again, she brought a hand up and pointed to her lips.

'I know you're sorry and doing your best to make up what you did. That's what really matters, Sora. And if you didn't save me that day, I wouldn't be here right now.' Seeing the shame on his face, she assured him, 'Look. I was stupid, trying to end my life. By then, I'd already forgiven you. So it's not your fault. All I wanted that day was to end everything and start over, because I thought there was nowhere to go.'

Sora didn't know whether to believe her or not, wondering if she was just trying to comfort him with a white lie. But the the regret in her eyes was so real, he couldn't help but believe that there was more on her mind.

'This is going to sound weird, but...' Kairi looked up at the sky, 'I thought I saw my mother that day. I tried to picture her smiling at me when I left this world. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't remember her smiling face. It was only after you saved me that I realized she wouldn't have been happy to see me end my life, especially since she sacrificed hers to save me in the crash. Once I understood that, I was able to imagine her smiling again.'

She looked back into his sky blue eyes. 'So you know what I think, Sora? Your dad is watching over you too right now. He may not always be proud of what you do, but know that he can never hate you.'

Sora couldn't speak. It was as if a knot the size of a golf ball was lodged in his throat. He grimaced, trying not to cry in front of her again. It was embarrassing for him, even though she didn't appear to care either way. Toughing it out, he managed to suppress the tears by thinking about what he came here to do.

Once he was sure he didn't look like he'd been crying, he stood up, helping Kairi back onto her feet.

"Come on," he spoke, his voice sounding a little gruff, "Let's go talk to your evil stepparents."

The corners of her lips lifted slightly as she thought of how Cinderella-like her life was turning into.

The corner of Sora's mouth lifted into a slow half grin upon seeing her smiling again. He was now positive that he preferred to see her happy than anything else. It was then that he made a promise to her, and to himself.

"I won't let them hurt you. Never again," he said, hugging her close. _I won't hurt you anymore. Never again._

Kairi didn't have to voice her understanding to let him know she trusted him. All she had to do was relax in his embrace, where not wind nor fear could reach her.

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A/N: There you go. That was quite a bit of SoraxKairi. Hope it will satisfy you guys for now, no matter how long overdue this update is. Like I said, multi-tasking ain't nothing but a headache for me. It's pretty hard, writing three very different Soras at the same time. You've got a bully-turned-good here, a cold-blooded assassin in _**When Love Blooms At Opposite Ends**_, and an utter goof-ball in _**Deja Blue**_.

So, I was pretty stuck on what they should do at first. And then half way through, I was like, 'Hey! Kairi's been through a couple meltdowns already. Why don't I make Sora suffer a bit too?' It's character-building and cathartic for him. In other words, Sora's got to shed a few tears and understand what jerk he was. Even I hate the 24/7 asshole routine.

**Please don't forget to leave me a review! **I love hearing from you guys.

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Question of the Chapter:

Say you were only allowed to choose _ONE_ favorite song you wanted to hear, what would it be?

My Answer:

Mine would be, "Radical Dreamers – The Unstolen Jewel" by Yasunori Mitsuda. If you guys have never played _Chrono Cross_, but loved _Kingdom Hearts_, then I totally suggest that game.

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Many thanks and kisses to Chapter 16 reviewers!: ShadowSpooky , Izzyv1o , chococrepes , Bobsies , Akane Naomi , AquaFlameElementalist , thepurplemaiden , Nears Twin , Sora's GuardianAngel , KHfan22 , RoxasxLoverxDarius , leeny , Craxuan , FemmeSquall , vballqueen1792 , disasterpiecex. , Meep Forever , Leelee488512 , Wint , crazyasian45 , FrozenFire42 , raieraieraie , lamatikah , CerberAsta , ejaculatedteabag. , Hikoru Aniki , xTwilightxDestinyx , -x-StaarGiirl-o- , BlueNobody , Manga-Fanatic , Frank Was Not Like Other Sheep , brolly501 , Kuroi Raikage , Gox19 , LILMISSS , MoonCastic , EYES to LIE , jcola0823 , uriko , VerdantSeraphim , Lycoris Calantha , sara-kate , satan966 , Favored , Lucari0knight , Silent Vampire Ninja , blank-pages1 , and mexicankitten .

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	18. Moment of Truth

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Chapter 18

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Author: Kintora

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A/N: Knock yourselves out! **(But please be sober enough to leave me a review. Thanks!)**

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_(Previously)_

"_Come on," he spoke, his voice sounding a little gruff, "Let's go talk to your evil stepparents."_

_The corners of her lips lifted slightly as she thought of how Cinderella-like her life was turning into. _

_The corner of Sora's mouth lifted into a slow half grin upon seeing her smiling again. He was now positive that he preferred to see her happy than anything else. It was then that he made a promise to her, and to himself._

"_I won't let them hurt you. Never again," he said, hugging her close. __**I won't hurt you anymore. Never again.**_

_Kairi didn't have to voice her understanding to let him know she trusted him. All she had to do was relax in his embrace, where not wind or fear could reach her._

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The brisk air didn't feel nearly as cold as it used to. Kairi couldn't help but sigh softly as she snuggled closer to Sora's side, her arms wound around his waist as they walked side by side. In turn, he tightened the arm he draped over her small shoulders. Neither wanted to part nor face the Burns… At least, Kairi knew she didn't want to. Sora was probably braver than her though.

As the little house on the corner drew closer, Kairi felt her breath come and go more laboriously. Having Sora there was certainly a buffer, but it didn't stop the anxiety from welling up in her chest. Ever since Cara admitted her hand in her parents' death, Kairi hadn't spoken to her and made it a point to avoid her completely. But there was no backing down now. And it probably wasn't going to be pretty.

She could only pray that the small chat would be quick and painless.

No sooner had she thought that, she found herself walking up the small stone porch as she braced herself with Sora at her side. Before they could go further, Kairi caught the slight flutter of the curtains inside. Perhaps Cara already saw them coming. She let out a silent sigh before looking up at her companion's face.

Sora found it difficult to keep a neutral expression. It was kind of hard, considering his girlfriend just told him about her scar. He had to take a mental double-take when the word 'girlfriend' repeated itself in his head. Was that what she was to him now? They started out as a 'pretend' couple, but deep down somewhere, he knew he'd already had feelings before then. It just felt… strange calling her that, even in his head.

Somehow, she meant more to him now than any girlfriend he ever had. No girl before her had even come close.

And to think that at the beginning of the school year, he had been convinced that he hated her for no reason.

But that was then and this is now. He would be civil tonight, but even being civil was going to be hard. His mother always told him that his eyes never lied. If that was true, it was going to be impossible trying to hide the contempt burning in them. But perhaps Kairi's 'adoptive' parents already knew that.

Kairi unlocked the front door and stepped inside with Sora following close behind. She suppressed her fear and headed towards the kitchen where she knew Cara would be – either reading a magazine or cleaning something. There was a moment when she hesitated in the living room, but the instant Sora took her hand, she felt better.

As they rounded the corner into the kitchen, Kairi noticed that neither Cara nor Barry were in the kitchen. Her heart thudded, and her first impulse was to breathe a sigh of relief and quickly leave the house. She didn't think her nerves could stand being in the house any longer.

"Can I help you two?"

Kairi jumped, her hand squeezing Sora's more tightly as she whipped around. Sora didn't seem the least bit startled as he turned to look behind him. And at first, Kairi was surprised to see the charismatic smile on his face. She would have stayed surprised, if she hadn't seen the steely look in his blue eyes.

"Actually, you can," Sora said in an equally cold voice, although his words were courteous enough, "I invited Kairi to go see a movie tonight with some of our friends. But we thought that it would be better to ask for your permission first."

Cara looked like she had swallowed something nasty, but schooled her face back into its usual grimace, "I wasn't aware Kairi had friends."

She wanted to flinch, but Kairi stood her ground as the older woman's uncaring eyes swept over her.

Sora shrugged, "Of course she does. In fact, she is a very good friend of mine." He smiled gently at Kairi this time, "My mother likes her a lot too."

"Your mother?" Cara raised a cryptic brow.

"I guess you haven't heard, but we're going out now."

Cara snorted softly with a note of contempt, "Who are you, boy? I won't allow just anyone to date her."

Kairi's expression changed from nervous to angry. Who did she think she was? Since when was this any of her concern? Besides, Sora didn't deserve to be treated this way. She glanced at him, wishing she could step in and speak up, but he seemed unaffected. In fact, he seemed perfectly at ease on the surface.

"I'm sorry," he began, although he didn't sound sorry at all, "My name is Sora Risado. I've known Kairi since kindergarten, although we just started going out recently."

"Risado…" Cara frowned. Kairi could see her stepmother putting the pieces together. She couldn't help but wonder if letting her know who Sora's mother was, was actually a good idea. It could very well backfire on her if Cara became angry enough to actually kill her.

Sora pulled Kairi closer to him, wrapping an arm around her waist, "I'm sure you've met my mom already. She's a senior detective at the police precinct." Cara's eyes seemed to widen a bit, her face frozen. Sora continued on easily as he tightened his arm around Kairi in a comforting manner, "Maybe you'd like to have tea with her some time? I know she'd welcome a chance to speak with you."

The blood seemed to drain out of Cara's face.

It was all Kairi could do to stifle the smile about to form on her face. She had never seen her stepmother so shaken. Perhaps the woman would think twice about what she said and did to her from now on.

After all, Sora made the threat quite clear.

Cara didn't need any more persuasion to let Kairi out of the house. She simply shook her head tiredly, her dark eyes angry but fatigued. She waved her hand dismissively and left. Kairi didn't realize she had been holding her breath until she heard her stepmother on the stairs on her way up to her bedroom.

Meanwhile, Sora had to try hard not to snort derisively. He hadn't seen Cara Burns before, but he knew he wouldn't like her once he had. And he was quite right. The woman obviously looked down on others and wasn't used to being threatened or bossed around. It made him wish he had made it even harder on her.

But Kairi's soft body against his side reminded him of the situation. Without her, he may have lost himself to his temper.

"Come on, Kairi. Let's go," he said.

Kairi nodded, still reveling in what just happened.

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Kairi and Sora dropped by his house quickly to prepare a bento dinner for his mother. It was nice simply by spending the dwindling hours of the afternoon together. It was surprising how easily words passed between them. In his company, Kairi didn't have to feel restricted to writing and hand language. Just being able to 'speak' freely was enough.

Neither were bad cooks, having had to learn at an early age. As Kairi made fried rice, she smiled to herself. It was ironic how two former enemies ended up becoming so close. If she knew a year ago that she would be making dinner with Sora in his house, much less going to see a movie with him, she would have laughed and thought the world was turning upside down on its axis. But now, it made sense.

And she was content and comfortable with him around. She felt safe.

As Kairi lifted the heavy wok and started to shovel the fried rice onto a platter, her thoughts froze. Exactly where did they stand with each other? Their relationship was still pretend right? It made her heart drop a little, to think that what was growing between could only stay a ruse. After all, she and Sora were still a part of two different worlds.

She frowned. What was she thinking? Of course they couldn't go beyond friends. It was silly thinking high school relationships last. Being friends and staying friends was definitely safer.

A warm hand fell over hers, startling her slightly.

"Are you okay?" Sora asked worriedly, as he gripped the wok handle and her hand, "You just spaced out when I asked if you needed my help."

Her arm started to ache, making her realize she had been standing there doing nothing with the wok and spatula in her hand. A fierce blush stained her cheeks as she tried to think of an excuse. The fact that he was standing so close behind her made it all the more difficult to breathe normally. She nodded quickly to assure him.

"Here, let me," was all he said as he took the wok from her hand and made quick work of her task.

She quickly turned around and started cleaning up her area of the kitchen, trying to keep her hands busy – trying to look busy so that he wouldn't see through her. After she finished rearranging the ingredients on the counter, she turned around only to have another heart attack when she realized he was looking at her.

"Still a little jumpy?" he smiled at her, "I don't blame you. A lot has happened today."

Kairi nodded, remembering the walk back from school. She smiled sympathetically. Today had been a strange mix of pleasant and unpleasant events. She walked over to him and took his hand, 'Thank you. I couldn't have done it without you.'

"It's nothing really," he said, looking a little nervous, "Sorry you had to see me act like a wimp."

'That's not true,' she crossed her arms sternly, 'It's never easy to face yourself.'

Sora shook his head, knowing he was every inch the coward he knew he was. He couldn't even tell her his true feelings. All he could do was hold onto the façade. It was a miracle she wanted anything to do with him after he tormented her all these years.

Kairi watched his eyes grow soft as he smiled a little sadly at her. She had a feeling that she knew what he was thinking, but wasn't sure what to tell him. It was then she realized how closely they were standing beside each other. There was but a hand span worth of space between them, the air completely charged. She could feel the electricity between them – the magnetism.

She could the invisible force between them, drawing them closer and closer together – drawing her face up and his face down – closer, and closer. The later afternoon sunlight seeped in through the windows above the sink, catching his eyes till they sparkled like liquid sky. Delicate, lace curtains cast intricate shadows over his face, his lips.

The light mood changed and hung thickly between them like molten honey. Kairi never realized how deliciously soft and smooth his lips looked. She could only imagine how a kiss would taste like. Would it be as sweet as she imagined it would be? She had never thought such things before – having never believed she would ever find someone she'd be attracted to.

Her eyes closed when she realized Sora was doing the same, their lips barely an inch apart. Their bodies weren't touching at all, and it was driving her crazy. All she wanted to do was lean into him completely, feel his arms wrapping around her and drawing her up against him. She wanted them to melt in each other's arms, like the way Yuna's romance movies usually ended.

How long had she denied herself that fantasy – that_ possible _reality?

But just when she was about to lean in, she heard Sora breathe in sharply and move away. Startled, Kairi stumbled back against the counter, waking up to the present. The magical moment was broken, and she could have kicked herself for almost… almost…

Sora coughed, rubbing the back of his head self-consciously, "Um, yeah. We – well, we gotta go soon. Mom, dinner, movies, and all… I – sorry, that was a little…"

Kairi suddenly felt like her eyes were burning, and all she wanted to do was get out of the room. She nodded hastily, mouthing silently that she was going to find the bathroom. She wasn't even sure Sora caught her words this time since she felt like her stare was permanently glued to the floor. All she could do was will herself not to cry – at least not until she was safely away and out of sight.

She walked as quickly as she could into the hall, looking for the bathroom. Fortunately for her, the first door she opened was the right one. The next thing she knew, she had locked herself in the bathroom and was crouched, clinging to her knees as silent tears fell.

Perhaps being a mute wasn't all that bad, she thought. At least then nobody could hear her crying.

And she didn't realized why she was crying until after she had a moment to sort through her feelings. She shook her head, as she stood up and turned the faucet on, splashing her burning face with cold water.

Rejection hurt. It really, really hurt.

She looked in the mirror, and was dismayed to see what she saw reflected there. Her garnet hair hung limply over her drab shoulders. And her eyes were tinged with red and looked a little swollen – definitely the face of someone who was distraught. Even her normally pale skin was blotchy and flushed. And her lips…! They were chapped and thin and, and–

Three quick knocks on the door jarred her back.

"Kairi? Are you all right in there?" Sora asked through the wood.

For a second, she wasn't sure what to do, except stare at the white door as if it was about to eat her.

"Could you… knock on the door once to let me know you're okay?"

Kairi swallowed and turned off the faucet. She walked over to the door, letting her hand knock softly against the wood.

Outside, Sora breathed a sigh of relief. He couldn't believe what he did back in the kitchen, and felt like punching himself in the face. When did he ever chicken out when he was about to kiss a girl? Never! Since when did Mr. Popular become _scared_ of kissing the girl he's liked since kindergarten? He growled inwardly. The question more of a 'why' question than anything else.

He was a coward, plain and simple.

And now he probably, _really_ screwed things up between them. But it was so hard to say what he felt. Even now, when he knew she was probably trying to compose herself on the other side of the door. And all he could ask was, 'Are you okay?' Pathetic!

He groaned, "Look… I'm really sorry, Kairi. I froze. I don't know what happened. It's never happened before with other girls. I mean, I've never kissed before. Wait – that is, I have, but never meant to – about to kiss, like that, to other girls… before," he shut up for a moment, turning around and hanging his head back. He was rambling, making no sense, and sounding like a completely incoherent idiot at this point. He wouldn't blame Kairi if she was doubled over on the floor, laughing at him.

Sora fisted a hand into his disheveled brown hair out of frustration. He struggled for his wits to come back to him.

"I'm just… really sorry if I upset you or something. It was completely unintentional. I really don't know what got into me. An apology really isn't enough, but–"

The soft click of the door unlocking stopped him. He turned around and saw her emerge from behind the door, looking small and sad. But there was a smile on her face, even though it was almost invisible. She shook her head at him, surprising him with what she said next.

'I'm okay. You don't have to apologize. It was me. I shouldn't have over stepped the line between us. I'm the one that should be saying sorry.'

"What?" Sora asked, dumbfounded, "Kairi, no–"

'Dinner's getting cold,' Kairi interrupted him, pointing down the hall, 'We need to drop by the precinct before we meet up with everyone at six, right? It's already a little past five now.' Without waiting for a reply, she headed back towards the darkening kitchen.

Sora had the sudden impulse to stop her and turn her around, but his hand froze mid-air as he let her pass him. He watched her lonely back as she walked away. His hand curled into a fist as he let it drop back to his side. It was then he realized he was really angry. Not at her, but at himself. He never had a problem with words.

But somehow, for once in his life, he didn't have the right words for the one girl who needed them the most.

………

Yuna and Tidus were relieved to see them when they finally arrived at the theater. The movie was starting in a few minutes, and the rest of the group had already gotten there earlier. Wakka and Rikku were joking around with each other when Sora and Kairi appeared and got their tickets.

The first thing that struck Yuna was that the two of them looked like they were trying to avoid each other's eyes. It only confirmed her suspicions when Kairi's eyes met hers. She could read her friend like a book sometimes, and Kairi definitely looked troubled. But with all the friendly ruckus and banter, she didn't get a chance to ask her what was wrong.

Kairi noticed Yuna's concern and tried to smile at her before Rikku practically pounced on her and started to apologize and talk enough for two people. It was welcome distraction, and Kairi found herself slowly beginning to enjoy Rikku's erratic company.

The group went inside the theater and took their seats near the back. Kairi took her seat next to Yuna and expected Rikku to sit on her other side. But the chirpy blonde hung back a little to allow Sora in next to her. If she could have found a rock big enough to hide her just then, Kairi would have dug herself ten feet underneath it. But instead, she swallowed and pretended to ignore him.

Each minute felt like torture to her. The dark only amplified the electricity that ran between them. The static was practically tangible, and Kairi could hardly keep her mind focused on the plot of the movie. It had something to do with romance, action, and comedy, but she couldn't grasp what was going on at all. Every time she came close to paying attention, she'd find herself distracted by Sora's soft breathing beside her… how close his hand was on the armrest.

It troubled her, how quickly things had changed between them.

Perhaps they shouldn't pretend to be what they weren't. It wasn't healthy for either of them right? The incident in his kitchen earlier already proved. Sora didn't want to kiss her – his actions said enough.

She couldn't fool herself into thinking Sora didn't like her. They were friends now after all, so it wasn't like he was disgusted with her. She just didn't think he liked her the way she was beginning to like him.

Her head ached, thinking in circles. It was so much easier when she didn't even know what a crush felt like.

One quick look at him wouldn't hurt right?

She tried to look at him as discreetly as possible, only to catch him giving her a side glance at the same time. Flushing, she pretended nothing happened and tried to ignore her heart pounding in her ears. Luckily, the lights in the theater slowly started to come to life again as the ending credits rolled.

It was too late to grab dinner by the time they left, so Wakka and Rikku left together, though they promised to round up the entire group next time. And Tidus offered to walk Yuna back. But before Kairi could leave with them, Sora caught her elbow.

"You wanna grab dinner real fast?" he asked.

Kairi shook her head, 'I don't have enough money. I only brought enough for the ticket.'

"It'll be my treat," Sora shrugged.

'I couldn't,' Kairi shook her hands vehemently, 'Besides, I better get back. Cara will kill me if I'm late.'

"Then at least let me walk you back."

Not wanting to make more of scene before Yuna and Tidus any longer, she nodded and started heading back. Aside from Yuna and Tidus' quiet voices, there was little noise edgewise. Cars rarely passed into the small neighborhood after they crossed the main intersection, and only a few dog barks echoed around in the dark silence. And though she wished things could have gone back to being simple between them, she knew it was impossible.

The small group had to split up once they reached the forked road between Kairi's and Yuna's houses. With a quick hug and a silent promise to tell Yuna everything later, Kairi watched as Tidus and Yuna left. The cowardly part inside her wished her friend didn't have to leave her alone with Sora, but she knew she wasn't a baby anymore. Kairi wasn't even the same girl as she was in the beginning of the year.

Thankfully, the short walk back to her house wasn't too long. If it was any longer, Kairi thought she would have already melted into the sidewalk. The thoughts of the afternoon kept replaying in her mind like a broken record. The more she thought about it, the more embarrassed she felt. Vaguely, she wondered if Sora felt the same.

As they approached the picket fence, Kairi knew she had to face him, if only to be polite and thank him for walking her back. But the instant her eyes met his, she felt as though she couldn't look away and anything she had to say to him vanished from her mind like smoke. But it seemed she wasn't the only one since Sora wasn't speaking either.

Just as she couldn't stand it any longer and was about to turn away, she felt his hand take hers. Her heart stuttered uncomfortably before pulsing faster in her chest.

"I made a mistake," he began, but paused as he thought of what else to say, "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Your feelings mean a lot to me. And… and I wanted you to know…"

'Sora,' she finally stepped in, realizing he was struggling, 'I know you're sorry about what happened. But it's okay. The sooner we forget about – about what might have happened, the sooner things can go back to normal between us.'

"Normal?" Sora asked, slightly incredulous, "Things have never been normal between us, Kairi."

'What do you mean?' Kairi was completely confused now. 'Normal' was when he used to bully her for some stupid reason. Then 'normal' became an unlikely friendship – greeting each other in the hall and hanging out in the art room during lunch. 'Normal' was when the feelings between them weren't so complicated. And 'normal' was definitely just this morning.

So what the hell was he talking about?

Sora closed his eyes, unable to stand her soft, inquisitive gaze, "I can't believe I'm finally going to tell you this."

Kairi was concerned, unable to read whether it was something bad or something good. He certainly looked nervous and uncomfortable, but she really hoped it was the latter.

"I started liking you a long time ago."

At first, she was shocked, but then it turned into disbelief, 'That can't be true. You used to hate me. Why else would you have–'

"Please," Sora said quietly, "Let me finish."

Kairi opened her mouth, but then closed it again.

"I don't think you would remember this, but back in kindergarten, I was just the new kid back then. No one really wanted anything to do with me. But you were the first to talk to me," he smiled slightly, remembering, "Do you remember what you said?"

She shook her head, amazed he would remember something from so long ago. Then again, Yuna remembered Tidus and the play dough incident from that time too. Kairi struggled to remember, but she couldn't. All she knew was that kindergarten had been a time full of fun and laughter for her. She had a lot of friends then, even though Yuna had been the closest.

Sora grinned, "Well, you said the reason why nobody wanted to talk to me was because I wasn't smiling enough. Then you gave me a dandelion, and said it would cheer me up."

Kairi was dumbstruck as she started remembering a little, 'I used to give dandelions to everyone. It was just something I did.'

"Yeah. That's why I got jealous," Sora said, his expression changing, "Maybe it was because I was little and didn't know what to do to get your attention. But when fourth grade rolled around, I had made many friends, but did my best to bully you so that you wouldn't have as many friends. All I wanted to do was make it so that you'd pay attention." He shook his head, "It was really stupid of me. I didn't understand a lot of things then."

She could feel the old hurt coming back – the old anger. Because of him, she had lost a lot of opportunities to make good memories at school.

'Why didn't you stop? How did you not realize what it was doing to me?'

Sora ran a hand through his hair, frustrated with himself, "I was really dense. I became worried when you stopped coming to school for a few weeks. I thought it was my fault. But you did come back, except you weren't the same anymore. You had stopped talking, and you became even more secluded. So I tried harder to provoke you. Eventually, it just turned into a routine."

Kairi touched the scar at her neck, trying hard not to let herself fall too far into her memories. Those had been dark times for her.

"I didn't know what happened to you, and I've never been good at expressing myself to others, especially after my dad died and my mom forgot about me for a while."

She frowned, 'Your mom forgot about you?'

Sora nodded, "She was so heartbroken that she tried to distance herself by working all the time. I just remember that I had to learn how to take care myself and take care of the house while she was gone. On the surface, everyone thought she was normal. But I was always worried that she would follow him. Even though I had a lot of friends at school, I always felt alone. And I was so scared to lose her that I couldn't let that happen. So I pretended that Dad was still alive. And I guess it worked."

Kairi was torn. If Sora's life hadn't been so twisted like hers, it would have been easy to hate him. But it was impossible to hate him anyhow. Her heart stopped being her own when she realized she wanted him to have it.

"It's so screwed up!" Sora growled suddenly, startling her, "I hurt you because I liked you. I turned my mom insane because I thought it would make her better – so it's not surprising that I can't even act on my feelings, because I'm so afraid to mess up again. But even when I don't do anything, I end up hurting people I care about anyway. Kairi, I don't know what to–"

Kairi didn't know what happened. One moment, they were more than a foot apart, and the next she had thrown herself at him. It was impulsive and perhaps entirely out of line, but she was tired of pretending and hiding what she felt. And now, she couldn't take back her first kiss.

It was chaste and sudden, little more than lips touching. When she pulled away, she kept her small hands cupped around his face. For a moment, she was afraid he would push her away, but he didn't do anything except stand stock still where he was.

'Don't be afraid to use less words,' she ran her scarred left hand down his cheek.

"Kairi," he whispered, closing his blue eyes and resting his forehead against hers, "You forgive me then?"

She stood up on her toes again, with Sora's arms wrapped tightly around her this time, and pressed her lips gently to his.

'I already have.'

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A/N: Uh huh, and you guys thought they'd never kiss right? It's the long awaited moment of truth. Hope you guys liked that.

And I hope that makes up for missing the Christmas deadline. So Merry Belated Christmas and Happy Just-Shy-Of New Years!

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Question of the Chapter:

Describe your most interesting kiss, guys. It may give me some ideas for future chapters! :)

My Answer:

I knocked the poor guy off his feet – in the most literal sense. I was fourteen at summer camp, and it was during the last dance. It was the first and only time I was ever about to be kissed… and I punched the poor kid in the face. I couldn't stop apologizing every time I saw him, but I think he forgave me. It's been many years, but either way, I haven't seen him since.

But after that, my friends have stopped forcing me to dance with random strangers.

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Many hugs and skittles to Chapter 17 reviewers: Swanna , LoveLife45 , kitty-gurl1 , ShadowSpooky , khfan forlife , mUSIC4LiFE95 , Before-I-Fall , CerberAsta , Sora's GuardianAngel , Akane Naomi , thepurplemaiden , -x-StaarGiirl-o- , Wint , leeny , LILMISSS , vballqueen1792 , True-Light-San , Leelee488512 , Izzyv1o , AonAllstars , xPocKyxx , lamatikah , divinerosekeeper , Naivette , Lil'pineapple , TheFirstChild , uriko , Si-Sidera , KHGamegirl , AquaFlameElementalist , LyricGirl16 , MoonCastic , DarkenedxPhoenix , oceans , , Aldergrace , pen wizard , KeytoDestiny , EYES to LIE , and ratluva16.

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	19. Once the Nightmare Ends

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Chapter 19

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Author: Kintora

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A/N: The long wait was mainly due to a long bout of writer's block, but also because I've been working hard on _**Deja Blue**__. _For those of you who are wondering about that story, I'm slowing it down mainly because I want to polish the original version. And, I don't want to reveal the end before the book is published. It's because I've been hearing some really nasty things about plagiarism lately, so I want to prevent that from happening to _**Deja Blue**__._ I hope you guys understand.

As always, I ask you guys to please leave me a review. I _especially_ hate it when people read/favorite/alert without commenting. Thanks.

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_(Previously)_

_Kairi was torn. If Sora's life hadn't been so twisted like hers, it would have been easy to hate him. But it was impossible to hate him anyhow. Her heart stopped being her own when she realized she wanted him to have it._

"_It's so screwed up!" Sora growled suddenly, startling her, "I hurt you because I liked you. I turned my mom insane because I thought it would make her better – so it's not surprising that I can't even act on my feelings, because I'm so afraid to mess up again. But even when I don't do anything, I end up hurting people I care about anyway. Kairi, I don't know what to–"_

_Kairi didn't know what happened. One moment, they were more than a foot apart, and the next she had thrown herself at him. It was impulsive and perhaps entirely out of line, but she was tired of pretending and hiding what she felt. And now, she couldn't take back her first kiss._

_It was chaste and sudden, little more than lips touching. When she pulled away, she kept her small hands cupped around his face. For a moment, she was afraid he would push her away, but he didn't do anything except stand stock still where he was._

'_Don't be afraid to use less words,' she ran her scarred left hand down his cheek. _

"_Kairi," he whispered, closing his blue eyes and resting his forehead against hers, "You forgive me then?"_

_She stood up on her toes again, with Sora's arms wrapped tightly around her this time, and pressed her lips gently to his._

'_I already have.'_

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…

She shivered in his embrace, even though it had nothing to do with the cold and everything to do with the way his fingers brushed the scar on her throat. It never occurred to her that kissing could feel so wonderful, so intimate. Before tonight, she had never kissed anyone. And if she were more aware of herself at that moment, she would have felt nervous and inexperienced.

But Sora didn't make her feel that way at all. He knew what he was doing, but he chose to go at her pace. He was gentle, encouraging. It took Kairi a long time to befriend and trust him. Then she gradually fell for him. But tonight made her fall as hard and fast as a comet. She should be cautious when it came to how fast her feelings were changing towards him – scared even. But she wasn't. Her heart just felt _right_ about it.

When they broke away, Sora tucked her head under his chin and Kairi gladly leant into his warmth. She tightened her arms around him, knowing she had to go back into that frightening house soon. And her content smile only widened when Sora hugged her back with an equal sense of not wanting to let go.

"Your nightmare will end soon, Kairi," Sora promised, "My mom will find a way to get you out of here. Then you can live where you feel wanted, without having to be afraid."

Kairi nodded against his shoulder, letting him know she believed him. She looked up at him, her purple eyes warm and bright with hope.

'I know,' she smiled.

Sora found himself smiling right back at her. He leaned down, pressing another soft kiss against her lips before taking her hand and leading both of them to the front door. He squeezed her fingers as she opened the unlocked door and stepped inside.

"See you soon," Sora said, his blue eyes softening, "I'll take you out more, with friends or just the two of us."

'Then you'll go with me to the New Year's Art Fair?' Kairi asked.

Sora nodded, "Wherever you want to go, I'll take you."

His smiled dimmed when he saw Cara standing in the kitchen. And just as quickly, the soft look in his eyes became hard and sharp like chips of blue ice. They challenged the orange-haired woman silently. Kairi looked behind her as well, and couldn't help looking away again just as fast. Her purple eyes lost the gentleness in them as well, the moment ruined.

"Kairi," Cara snapped, "Get in here before you let all the heat out."

Sora wanted to retort but Kairi just put a hand on his shoulder, making him look at her. The expression on her face was dark, a mix of fear and hate.

'I _hate_ that woman. I will never forgive her,' she softened her expression, 'But I believe in you. The nightmare will end.'

"I know," Sora said gently, "I keep my promises." He covered her hand with his for a moment, then turned his attention back to the fuming woman, "Thanks for letting me take Kairi out tonight. I'll be back, so I'll see you around Mrs. Burns." His voice was polite as usual, but laced with steel. Cara looked pale, but didn't voice a complaint. She just looked on silently, her face barely hiding her anger.

Sora grinned at Kairi, "Good night. I'll see you around too."

Kairi gave him a brave smile and watched as he turned and walked across the lawn. She would have continued to watch him until he was out of sight if Cara hadn't chosen that moment to cross the living room and shut the door for her. Her aunt breathed heavily through her nostrils, staring down at the younger girl. But Kairi didn't budge. Her violet eyes just pierced Cara's right back.

"You never could look me in the eye," The older woman frowned, her voice turning into a sneer, "But don't think you've won just yet. While you still live here, you obey my rules. And I'm telling you right now that I don't care much for that defiant look of yours."

Kairi knew she should have looked away to avoid trouble, but she just couldn't. She took away her parents, the people who she had loved more than anything in the world. This was the same person who turned her life into a hell in which she had to struggle every day just to live. And she had almost succeeded in erasing her will to live. Kairi felt her resistence strengthen even more. She wouldn't lose to this woman, even if she wanted to. Her eyes only hardened with resolve.

"I said stop looking at me with those eyes!" Cara barked, her hand lashing out and striking Kairi on the face. The sudden force caused Kairi to stumble against the wall, but she held her ground. The blow was surprisingly strong, strong enough to split her lip a little and create a bruising mark at the corner of her mouth. She grimaced, tasting iron on her tongue. Her teeth must have punctured the inside of her lip.

Kairi's glare remained furious and unmoved, as she watched Cara take in several deep breaths. Her aunt appeared wild and spooked all of a sudden, backing away from Kairi, as if she had just seen a ghost or something. The woman rubbed her eyes, muttering to herself before she turned away quickly towards the kitchen and out of sight.

But Kairi heard her.

Apparently Kairi's cursed eyes looked a hell lot like her mother's.

Growing sick of the atmosphere, Kairi hurried upstairs and locked her bedroom door behind her. She sat in the dark on her bed, staring out her window at the moon outside. Grabbing her pillow, Kairi stuffed her face into it and tried to scream.

Nothing. No sound.

Kairi pulled the pillow against her and laid down, wishing the pillow she was hugging was Sora.

…

Sure enough the next day, the bruise near Kairi's mouth only darkened. Cara was up before she was, forcing her to wear concealer or else she wouldn't be allowed out of the house. Kairi had half a mind to butt heads with the woman, but it was too early for that. She might as well comply since she didn't want to worry her friends anyway.

When Cara was done making sure Kairi's face was properly fixed, the woman warned her not to tell anyone or she would regret it. But even that threat sounded weak to her ears. Kairi would have been more intimidated if her aunt hadn't looked like she hadn't slept a wink at all the night before. In her current state, Cara resembled a haggard old lady who had been left out to dry. And she would have felt badly for her too, if Cara weren't a deranged murderer in the place.

As usual, Kairi made her way to Yuna's house. Before she could even knock on the kitchen door though, it flew open, revealing Yuna in her ducky-print pajamas. Her friend merely dragged her into the house without so much as a greeting. Instead, she cut right to the chase.

"Hey, what was going on yesterday? You and Sora seemed all right after school, but when you two showed up at the movie theater, something was definitely off. And after that, I didn't get a chance to talk to you before we parted ways last night. Something did happen right? Are you okay? Was it… was it _them_?" Her bright eyes were concerned, her face pinched with worry.

But Kairi just shook her head tiredly, wincing slightly when the split on her lip stretched. She motioned with her hands, though she wasn't sure if she should talk about the kiss just yet.

'We had some trouble convincing Cara yesterday,' Kairi responded shortly, 'It was a good thing Sora was there. That woman was making things really hard for us." She sucked at lying, but half-truths were okay right? She was pretty good at avoiding things. Too bad no act she put on now could fool her best friend.

"And?" Yuna pressed, leaning over the counter towards her, "I know something happened between you and Sora. Don't think I wasn't paying attention. You two looked like you were standing on pins and needles around each other."

'It's complicated,' Kairi struggled, 'A lot happened yesterday. I also learned quite a bit about Sora's past – how we became enemies in the first place, when we could have easily been friends instead.'

"Now that's not something you learn everyday," Yuna sighed, "Well go on. We have breakfast and the walk to school. I have more than enough time to fish for details, so you might as well save me the work and tell me everything."

Kairi gave a resigned shrug, a tiny smile tugging at her lips. She would have expected nothing less from her best friend.

School felt much more welcoming now as Kairi went through the day without a hitch. She was so caught up in her classes that she somewhat forgot about the bruise on her face. So when she went to the girl's bathroom to freshen up, she forgot all about being careful with the concealer until she looked up from washing her face.

Her reflection in the mirror made her stomach drop as she noticed the ghastly bruise marring the flesh near the corner of her mouth. She hadn't taken the concealer Cara made her use that morning, and she never carried makeup on her. She didn't even own any makeup. The little tube of color corrector had been Cara's.

She hung her head over the sink, feeling the rock in her stomach sink even more. How was she going to cover this up now? Her mind frantically turned over a million excuses to use, but everything she came up with were too flimsy to use. The bruise definitely looked like someone hit her. Maybe if her history of abuse and neglect hadn't been exposed, people would have thought less of it. But if she walked out of the bathroom looking like this…

Suddenly an idea came to mind. Lulu. Lulu would help her. Her art teacher always wore a lot of makeup, and could occasionally be seen fixing it while the students were working on their projects. It was embarrassing having to ask Lulu, but at least she wouldn't have to worry anybody else.

Quickly, Kairi left the bathroom, trying to slow her nervous pace down. She untied her long, garnet hair and lowered her head a bit, hoping she wouldn't draw people's attention. It was lunch, so the halls were relatively devoid of kids from her grade. The period had already started, so the other grades should have started class already.

She slowed down even more as another thought hit her.

Why the hell was she so worried about exposing what Cara did to her? If anything, this was proof of abuse. She should be on her way to the police station – not loitering around the school looking for a stick of concealer to cover up for that monster of a woman. If anything, there were several reasons.

For one, she didn't want to worry her friends, especially Yuna and her family. Then there was the pity from the other students. She hated that kind of attention, especially since she's gotten a lot of that lately. It was better than their scorn, but it was still uncomfortable. She just wasn't the type who enjoyed coddling. On top of all that, she was raised to keep her mouth shut – figuratively speaking. The Burns had ingrained into her a long time ago that their family's 'dirty laundry' shouldn't be aired out for all to see.

Kairi felt her brows crash together in agitation. All that shit has been blown sky high out of the water now. She was just mad at herself for resorting to hiding again. Her personality recoiled at the thought of making a scene, but her pride told her to wear her bruises on her face. What was she supposed to do now?

"Kairi?"

The girl jumped at the sound of her name, and automatically lifted a hand up to her face before turning around slowly. She made a mental groan when she noticed who stopped her. A part of her was glad really, but she really didn't want to see any of her friends just then. And most of them just happened to be there, crowding around in the hallway.

Yuna smiled at her, waving at her. Tidus stood right next her, his sunny grin directed at her too. Behind them were Wakka and Rikku, both of whom were waving her over to their little group. Kairi looked uncertainly back behind her towards the stairs, before giving her friends a half-hearted wave as she trudged up to them.

"Hey, we were just about to get lunch, ya? Wanna come with us?" Wakka asked good-naturedly, his island accent coming through thickly in his voice. Rikku nodded energetically beside him, her green eyes sparkling.

Kairi felt a nervous smile break across her face. How the heck was she supposed to say, 'Not really, I have somewhere to go' without her hands? Yuna could understand sign language, but she couldn't read lips like Sora. And Sora wasn't there.

The saying about being pushed between rock and a hard place couldn't have described the moment any better. She felt her mouth open and close like a guppy's, not knowing what to do.

Yuna's gaze turned concerned, "Kairi, your lip is bleeding. Didn't you use the chap stick I gave you this morning?"

Kairi touched her lip self-consciously, momentarily forgetting about the bruise on her face until she heard the sharp intakes of breath around her. She quickly hid her face again, looking at the polished floor and wishing her cheeks weren't burning so hotly right now. She really was stupid sometimes, she thought biting down on her bleeding lip.

"What happened?" Yuna asked, grabbing her shoulders, "I thought there was more you weren't telling me this morning. They hit you again, right?"

Wakka's russet eyes were wide and Rikku looked like she was lost for words. It was exactly what Kairi didn't want, but she couldn't help but be touched by their concern. She had barely gotten a chance to get to know them, yet Wakka and Rikku were already on her side.

"Kairi," Tidus started, his ocean blue eyes dark, "Maybe you should let the nurse look at that."

Kairi felt her chest constrict, feeling as touched as she was embarrassed. She had a desperate to urge to thank them, but she couldn't. She didn't know how to express her gratitude in words, even if she tried. Instead, she could only nod dumbly. She turned to Yuna for help, 'I would, but it's not a big deal. I was going to find Lulu to see if she had some cover up I can use.'

"So you've been using concealer all morning? No wonder I didn't notice," Yuna said, her expression turning peeved before relaxing again. She shook her head, "I should have known. But you shouldn't hide things like that! You'll make me worry more about you."

Rikku nodded vehemently, speaking up, "Listen to Yunie, Kairi. You don't have to be so strong all the time!" She latched onto Kairi's elbow, "Come on, we'll walk you to the nurse."

Kairi resisted a bit, stopping completely when a deep voice spoke up.

"What are you guys doing, clogging up the hallway?"

Everyone looked back at the stairs where Kairi had headed for in the first place, seeing Sora and Riku there. It was Riku who had spoken up. The two of them had gotten out of class late and were just on their way to lunch. Kairi might have run into them earlier if the others hadn't stopped her first. She kept her face angled down, not wanting Sora to see her. It wasn't like she didn't want to see him, but she didn't like the idea of worrying him in any way if she could help it.

Sora and Riku paused before them, looking curiously from one face to the other. Kairi was ready to melt into the floor, but Tidus explained before she could stop him. Though it wasn't like she could stop any of them to begin with.

"She was on her way up to the art room to get something from Lulu," he nodded in Kairi's direction, "But we're taking her to see the nurse first."

Kairi looked at Tidus in surprise, along with Rikku and Wakka. Tidus shrugged, a small bashful grin spreading on his tanned face again, "What? I've been learning sign language. Yuna's a good teacher." Yuna smiled at him, before turning her expectant gaze back to her best friend.

Sora walked closer to Kairi, taking her scarred left hand in his. "It's me isn't it? Cara wouldn't have hurt you if I hadn't acted so arrogantly in front of her."

If she had the ability, Kairi would have done something to prevent Sora from feeling badly. She shook his hand, making him look at her, 'Believe me, it's not you. I… was being stubborn last night. My eyes reminded her of my mother, and it kind of made her angry. She only hit me once.'

Sora just closed his stormy eyes, before looking away from her. Kairi's chest felt like it was constricting again, only this time it felt painful. She knew that from the way his mouth was pressed into a thin line that he was still blaming himself somewhere deep inside. Before she could get his attention again, he looked back at her, his sky blue eyes clear again.

"I think you should go to the nurse first before you see Lulu," he gave Kairi's hand one more squeeze before he let it go and turned to the rest of his friends, "I'll find you guys in the art room in a bit. See ya." With that, he turned and left in the opposite direction before anyone could stop him.

Kairi looked on in disappointment at Sora's retreating back, but snapped out of it when she felt someone's hand drop heavily on her shoulder. When she looked up to see the culprit, she was surprised to see Riku next to her.

"Don't worry about him. He'll stick to his word. Sora just needs to sort the thoughts in his head for a bit before he comes around again," Riku patted her shoulder once more before moving away from her. Kairi was surprised he would give her words of comfort when they had never interacted with each other before.

Even when Sora and the others had been misguided and treated her badly, Riku never so much as spared her a look of interest. He was the quietest and most distant of them all. Until just now, Kairi, like everyone else who didn't know him, all thought he wasn't really close with that tight-knit group of friends. But it seems she was wrong. Riku may have been the cool type, but he was also the most insightful one after all.

"What are you slow pokes goggling at?" Riku said blandly as he continued ahead of us, "Pick up the pace."

Well. Kairi never thought of him as the nice type before either, but it was a relief that her previous assumptions weren't always true. The guy had his moments.

…

Fortunately for Kairi, the trip to the nurse's office was painless and quick. The nurse on duty just pursed her mouth into a frown line and checked Kairi's face for any fractures. Other than that, there wasn't much she could do except give Kairi a small disposable packet with pain relievers in case her injuries bothered her.

Kairi still insisted that she go see Lulu though for some cover up since no one else had any among them. The only one who might have concealer was Selphie, but the girl wasn't in school that day. As usual, Lulu allowed them all in so they could eat lunch. But since it was an art classroom, she made them work and eat at the same time. There were a few groans, but seeing as there was no other choice, they started something or other to pass the period.

In the mean time, Yuna took over helping them along while Lulu pulled Kairi over to the side. The younger girl couldn't help but flush, having to ask for help, but Lulu was more than happy to help her.

"I can understand why you would want to keep a low profile about it, but I want you to tell somebody about this. And I don't mean the nurse or your friends. You know what I'm saying," Lulu said sternly, dropping the tube of make up into her hand, "I wish you hadn't kept this sort of thing a secret for so long, but I know it couldn't be helped. I'm just glad for you now. There's a small chance you can get your freedom, but only you have the power to reach for it, Kairi."

After that, Lulu just patted Kairi's head gently before moving on to help the others struggling with their self-assigned projects. Kairi grinned inwardly as she took in the scene. Just a few months ago, these people would never have spent any time in the art room, much less socialize with either her or Yuna. She watched as Wakka cursed at the paint he just got on his shirt while Rikku ran around the room in circles trying to find a clean sponge for him. Even Riku was absorbed in his own little world as he sketched with his right hand while his left held a sandwich.

Yuna and Tidus were sharing another table off to the side, talking animatedly as they wolfed down their lunch. They seemed anxious to start on something together, surprising Kairi and the others when the two of them pulled something big out of the storage room and revealed a half-finished plaster sculpture of some sort.

Kairi was just finished handing the cover up back to Lulu when Sora walked into the room. She felt her heart lighten when she saw him, but the expression on his face was still hard to read. He greeted everyone else before spotting her across the room. Without any words between, Kairi knew he wanted to speak with her alone so she quickly made her way over to him. There was still half a period left before lunch ended, so Sora took her hand and led her out the door.

They were quiet, and Kairi couldn't help but feel a little nervous. He obviously looked troubled, but she wasn't sure what to do about it. Somehow, they made their way up to the roof without being noticed, both of them stopping by the wire fence to look at the ground sprawling under them and the sky stretching out into the distance. It was partly cloudy and breezy. It reminded her of…that day. Only today was much, much colder with winter approaching in less than a week.

"Remember what you said to me a while back?" Sora began, breaking the silence. Kairi looked at him inquisitively. "About people not changing?"

It took her a moment to remember, but when she did, she felt her face flush. It wasn't really something she wanted to remember. She had said some impulsive things that day, half of which she wasn't sure she really believed in. But Sora went on, not noticing her embarrassment.

"I know it's not a great day to remember, but I just wanted to talk to you about it," he closed his eyes and rested his head against the cold fence, his breath coming out in misty puffs, "I think what you said about events and situations changing makes sense. But people… I do believe people change over time, but only because of the things changing around them."

Kairi took his hand, looking at their hometown. She didn't have to wait long for him to speak again.

"It's the people who refuse to change with their surroundings that get lost, and feel left behind," he finally looked at her, his sky blue eyes twinkling with humor, "I wanted to tell you that I realized I was one of those people who were feeling lost until you pulled my head out of my ass."

Her face must have looked funny and confused, because he burst out laughing. And somehow, the tension that she had felt melted away just as suddenly. Everything was all right again between them. Without really realizing it, her own face lit up as she laughed silently along with him. When they had calmed down again, she met his gaze and told him what she thought.

'You were a bit of an ass, huh?' Kairi shook her hair out of her face, her face rosy from laughing and the cold air, 'But I think you also pulled me back on track. I was lost too – been lost for many years now. I was especially lost… that day. You saved me remember?'

"I guess we were both pretty stupid then," Sora sighed heartily, "But at least things are going to be okay."

Kairi tilted her head in question. What did he mean by that?

Without having to ask him, Sora answered her, "I told my mom about that," he touched her face carefully where she had applied the concealer, "She wants us to drop by the precinct after school. They need all the evidence they can get. Besides, she has good news about the investigation they're conducting. She can't talk much about it, but she wanted to make sure you were okay and know that the police are trying their best to speed up the prosecution."

Her heart was beating quickly in her chest at the thought of ending this nightmare. Was it possible that there was enough evidence to finally bring some justice? The hope she felt must have been reflected on her face because Sora pulled her into a tight, warm hug.

They stayed like that, rocking in the cold wind with only each other's warmth against the cold wind. Sora looked up at the sky, hoping for the same thing as Kairi. He thought he saw a shooting star, and was tempted to shrug it off as a trick of the light. Shooting stars weren't visible during the day right?

He wished on it anyway.

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A/N: Again, please leave a review! It's been a really long time since I updated any of my stories, so I'd love to hear your thoughts. Besides, it's like I said earlier. I _vehemently_ want to shoot people who read my story without saying anything. It's not hard leaving a few words.

**These stories may belong to me, but those who offer words of encouragement or insight are integral to a story's success. That's why I take the time to put your names at the end of every chapter to commemorate you guys.**

Hopefully the next chapter will come out soon. This chapter was a bit uneventful, but at least I have an idea for what's going to happen next. Till next time everyone!

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Question of the Chapter:

What have you guys been up to this summer?

My Answer:

I'm visiting my mom in Taiwan right now – been sight-seeing and enjoying my time away from school and work. Aside from that, I've been working on _**Deja Blue**_ and doing other miscellaneous things that I won't have time to do once the fall semester begins. Those trivial things include games, manga, dramas, and sleeping.

I know it's not very interesting, but I am having fun. I think the most fun I've had this summer was going to the hot springs up in the mountains with my cousin. The next time I get a chance to do that may be the next time I go on my school's exchange program to Japan.

Anyway, I'd love to know what you guys are up to. :)

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Many thanks to Chapter 18's loyal reviewers: Swanna , Emilily , AonAllstars , Midami Uchiha of the sand , MomoNoHikari , LoveLife45 , CerberAsta , LILMISSS , KeytoDestiny , Akane Naomi , AquaFlameElementalist , Naivette , The So Not Sexy Bish , HaruhiXfreakz , Tsukasa Miyamoto , , uriko , Meep Forever , Lycoris Calantha , kitty-gurl1 , colorful passion , Lil'pineapple , lamatikah , Aldergrace , EYES to LIE , Zlegna120 , hideki411 , RoxasxLoverxDarius , ZaynahLove , Sora's GuardianAngel , LozzyBoo93 , LoreilDarksky00 , timisnotmyname , Kora Bloom , TheFirstChild , xTwichii , xTwilightxDestinyx , and Lakota Tala .

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	20. Snowball Showdown

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Chapter 20

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Author: Kintora

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A/N: Hey everyone – the reviews are very much appreciated. I've been getting questions about the length of the story, etc., so I figured I'd answer some of them. Originally when I planned this thing, I wasn't really thinking of making it too long. But somehow, it's grown to 20 chapters. So I estimate _at the very least_ 24 chapters total, although that number is subject to change based on how the story continues to progress.

Anyway, don't forget to answer the question at the end! Oh, and enjoy the story.

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_(Previously)_

_Her face must have looked funny and confused, because he burst out laughing. And somehow, the tension that she had felt melted away just as suddenly. Everything was all right again between them. Without really realizing it, her own face lit up as she laughed silently along with him. When they had calmed down again, she met his gaze and told him what she thought._

'_You were a bit of an ass, huh?' Kairi shook her hair out of her face, her face rosy from laughing and the cold air, 'But I think you also pulled me back on track. I was lost too – been lost for many years now. I was especially lost… that day. You saved me remember?'_

"_I guess we were both pretty stupid then," Sora sighed heartily, "But at least things are going to be okay."_

_Kairi tilted her head in question. What did he mean by that? _

_Without having to ask him, Sora answered her, "I told my mom about that," he touched her face carefully where she had applied the concealer, "She wants us to drop by the precinct after school. They need all the evidence they can get. Besides, she has good news about the investigation they're conducting. She can't talk much about it, but she wanted to make sure you were okay and know that the police are trying their best to speed up the prosecution."_

_Her heart was beating quickly in her chest at the thought of ending this nightmare. Was it possible that there was enough evidence to finally bring some justice? The hope she felt must have been reflected on her face because Sora pulled her into a tight, warm hug._

_They stayed like that, rocking in the cold wind with only each other's warmth against the cold wind. Sora looked up at the sky, hoping for the same thing as Kairi. He thought he saw a shooting star, and was tempted to shrug it off as a trick of the light. Shooting stars weren't visible during the day right?_

_He wished on it anyway._

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Winter officially moved in, and the holiday spirits were thrown into full gear as people rushed around getting holiday presents for their loved ones. School had been jittery with talk about presents and vacation plans, while the glittering hallways were decked with fairy lights and ornaments ranging from Christmas to Hanukkah to Kwanzaa. Even the teachers seemed lax about schoolwork, choosing to push most assignment deadlines till after Winter Break.

Every year, Kairi only had to worry about getting two gifts – one for Yuna and another for Yuna's family. And all of that usually came from the lunch money her evil stepparents rarely left for her and whatever odd jobs she was able to do.

But this year was different. She had a lot more people to buy presents for. Seeing as there were so many people now, she had to resort to making something rather than buying individual things. She frowned as she trudged through the snow to Yuna's house. Even though school had let out for break, she was still troubled by thoughts about things aside from getting presents for everyone.

She recounted the other week when Sora took her to see his mother at the precinct. The woman looked more frazzled than usual, but she was positively relieved after seeing Kairi in person. After taking some photos of her injured face, and a promise to keep their meeting a secret from her abusive aunt a little longer, the three of them had discussed things over some tea.

While the recording was enough to get a warrant for investigation, the police hadn't turned up anything particularly useful yet. All the evidence from the crash had either been disposed of or lost due to lack of circumstantial evidence in the previous investigation after the accident. It was not a lost cause though. Both Cara and Barry Burns had run-ins with the police before, be it domestic dispute or otherwise. With their long history of violence, it was possible to play up the current circumstantial evidence.

In other words, while there was evidence against the Burns, it wasn't enough to prosecute them for the deaths of her parents just yet. However, due to recent evidence of abuse, it was enough to catch the attention of Child Services. Letting the Lescas take her in as an adoptive daughter was still in discussion though, since Kairi's parents' money and resources had to be properly transferred towards Kairi's care.

And since Kairi was still a minor, she really had no say in that matter.

But Cara and Barry Burns did.

And they made it clear that they were going to fight tooth and nail for whatever insurances and rights they could. It was a sickening sight for those witnessing the case, but in the eyes of the law, there was a chance the Burns would win some battles. The trial itself would be held after New Year's, so Mrs. Risado and the Lescas agreed to find a capable lawyer for the job.

And while that should have reassured her, Kairi was still nervous. While she was more excited to live with the Lescas, she didn't like the idea of any of her parents' inheritance going into the pockets of their murderer. And while she knew the Lescas were pretty well off as far as finances goes, Kairi didn't want to burden them with her college tuition even though they already offered to cover the expenses.

Kairi rubbed her gloved fingers together before swinging herself over the Lescas' yard fence. This trial was going to be the largest step yet, and she could only hope. Everything else was out of her hands.

She had to look on the bright side though. No matter what, she'll be out of that house. Any sign of child abuse was taken seriously, and she had a tower of evidence for that now.

The triplets saw her first and fought over getting the door, crashing into Kairi's middle as they tackled her. The boys were going nuts about the idea of having her live with them again, each harboring tiny crushes on her. And as usual, some sort of unspoken competition had broken out between them. Luckily, Yuna came to Kairi's rescue. And all she had to do to get her little brothers back into the house was threaten to lock them outside in the blizzard.

Kairi practically melted on spot the instant she stepped into the kitchen. The house was filled with the scent of gingerbread and hot chocolate. On top of that, it was so warm and toasty that Kairi could feel her bold, aching bones thawing upon entry.

"Hey Kairi, you want to grab something to eat and drink? I'm helping Mom make some cookies so here's an apron when you're done," Yuna said, tossing her a spare, "You know where everything is. I even left you some banana bread since you love it so much."

'You're too good to me,' Kairi told her, smiling, 'I'm going to make some hot cocoa. You want some?'

"Sure," Yuna grinned, "And the marshmallows are above the fridge."

"You're making hot chocolate?" One of the triplets squealed.

"I want one! I want one!"

"Me too!"

Kairi nodded and started preparing some warm, liquid dessert for them all. That was when Braska and Aore entered the kitchen, pleased to see everyone had gathered. Yuna threw in two more reindeer mugs to the five already assembled on the counter.

"Kairi!" Aore beamed, sweeping over to Kairi and wrapping the girl into a hug, "I'm so glad you were able to make it through all that snow and ice. Has Yuna asked you yet?"

Kairi tilted her head in question, glancing over at her friend. Yuna shook her head, "She just got here, mom."

"Well, we were wondering if you'd like to stay with us during the holidays. You don't have to ask the Burns yourself. I phoned your… Aunt Cara last night," Aore barely managed to hide her grimace, "She just said to ask you."

Braska's normally tranquil eyes turned stormy, "Such an incorrigible woman. If only we knew in the beginning just how insufferable a pair those two were, we would have fought much harder to have you with us," he rubbed his face tiredly, his voice turning soft again as he looked back at Kairi, "Don't you worry Kairi. We will get you out of there."

Kairi nodded, smiling up at him and Aore. Her fingers subconsciously brushed the side of her face where the pale yellow and green bruise was fading. She trusted them. And more than anything, Kairi wanted to live with them. Even for the rest of her junior and senior years of high school. It would mean the world to her.

'I'd love to stay with you during the holidays,' Kairi told them. Yuna cheered, throwing her arms around Kairi's neck. The two of them grinned at each other before continuing to make hot chocolate again while Yuna's family began to set the table for breakfast.

As Kairi and Yuna carried the mugs to the table, Kairi looked out the bay window at the beautiful, white landscape. The house's delicious cinnamon and hot chocolate scent flooded her with a festive warmth that she hadn't felt in years. The sense of finally belonging somewhere filled the empty void that had once ached this time of year. She had only spent the holidays with Yuna's family a handful of times in the past since never wanted to overstay her welcome. But that would never be the case again. Yuna's parents and siblings made it very clear to her that she'd always have a home with them.

Breakfast was filled laughter and banter like usual. But soon Braska had to leave for work, so he quickly kissed his wife goodbye and left. Aore's green eyes softened as the older woman stood by the window, watching her husband's car drive away in the light blizzard. Kairi and Yuna watched along with her, but Kairi was mostly paying more attention to Aore's wistful face. It made her wish that one day; she could do the same for her own husband.

At that last thought, Kairi almost gagged. It was such a random thought. But the worst part was that she could already imagine who _that_ could be. She shook her head. It wasn't time to think of such things. The holiday mood must have really put her into a happy overdrive.

That's it. She needed some air.

'Hey Yuna,' Kairi caught her friend's attention, 'How about we go outside and make some snowmen or something?'

"Are you _serious_?" Yuna almost groaned when she was met with Kairi's innocent, round stare, "Oh all right. But that means the Triple Twerps will probably follow us if they're not glued to their PS2."

Just then, the three boys walked in and gave their older sister a hard poke in the back. Yuna whirled around and glared at them, though it was only half-hearted.

"Correction!" Zell held up a gloved hand, as if he were about to make an oath.

Zack blew a strand of dark hair out of his face, "We're not 'twerps,' sis."

"Yeah!" Zidane piped up, "We're the 'Terrorizers!'"

"'Terrors,'" Zell, Zack, and Yuna corrected automatically.

Zidane's bottom lip pouted indignantly, "That's what I just said, copybats."

"'Copycats.'"

"Argh!"

Aore laughed as she watched Kairi and Yuna follow the three boys to the coat closet to suit up for the cold weather. As they did that, Aore cast one more look out the window before going to find some fresh towels for later.

Outside, the contest to make bigger and better snowmen progressed to an all or nothing snowball fight between the five of them. Before they knew it, several other neighborhood kids joined and the snowball fight eventually moved to spread across an entire block. Shrieks of laughter and exploding snowballs soon dominated the entire area, even drawing in a few parents that had been watching the game.

Kairi couldn't remember the last time she had so much fun. She and Yuna were camped out together behind an oak tree as several kids they didn't know were pelting snow in their direction. They both peered around the thick trunk, taking turns using up their ammunition. But just as Kairi was about to throw her tightly packed snowball, she sensed someone approaching their blind spot.

Whirling around, Kairi let her snowball fly, only to gape at whom she caught square on the head. Her hands flew up to cover a surprised grin breaking over her face. Yuna turned around and bent over double, clapping her mittens over the knees of her purple snow pants. Kairi smiled as Yuna laughed, both their faces rosy with laughter.

Poor Tidus stood before them; blinking owlishly as snowball guts dripped off his dirty blond hair. But it didn't take long for wicked grin to spread as he leapt behind an opposing tree and started pelting the girls back with sloppy snowballs. Yuna shrieked as she and Kairi ducked over to the other side of their oak tree, only to have their original enemies pelt more snow at their unprotected backs.

There was no place to hide, but running wasn't really an option.

"Do you give up?" Tidus shouted from behind his tree, "Looks like you two are toast!"

"Never!" Yuna hollered back as she dodged some more random snowballs.

Kairi had the same idea, though in a different way. She had become so adept at climbing trees that she barely thought twice about climbing the oak they had been hiding behind. Before long, she had made her way up a safe tangle of branches where she had enough snow and cover for a natural vertical fort. Yuna spotted her and with a little help from Kairi, climbed her way up the tree too.

By then, the opposing neighborhood kids had moved on to battle another group. Tidus made his way under Kairi and Yuna's tree and squinted up at them, his ocean blue eyes twinkling.

"You guys give up? Seems like I've chased you two into a tree."

Kairi made at face while Yuna responded by throwing a chunk of snow onto his head.

"You underestimate us, Tidus Reina!" Yuna cackled down at him. Kairi shook her head, her cheeks aching from smiling so much.

"We'll see about that," Tidus smirked right back as he made a foothold on their tree. Yuna screamed as she and Kairi were forced to split and head for different sets of branches.

Kairi was a faster climber and watched as Tidus lost interest in chasing her and went after Yuna instead. The picture the three of them made vaguely reminded her of monkeys. Too bad none of them were _that_ good at climbing trees. Especially Yuna. Kairi's stomach dropped when she saw Yuna slip in her haste as Tidus made a grab for her.

She watched in horror as her friends dropped from the tree and landed in a pile on the thick, snow covered ground. As quickly as she could, Kairi made her way down the tree and jumped the last five feet.

"OH MY GOD!" Yuna cried, getting off Tidus' winded stomach, "Are you all right? You didn't break anything, did you?"

Tidus winced, sitting up, "Nah, the snow's pretty thick. My butt hurts though."

Yuna sighed in relief, smiling. "Sorry for falling on you. I'd kiss your boo-boo if it weren't on your butt."

"I think I have a boo-boo on my mouth. Does that mean you'll kiss me there instead?" Tidus asked hopefully, his toothy grin showing off a set of teeth as bright and white like the snow around them.

Kairi froze, turning her back on them to give them a moment.

Yuna blinked rapidly, forgetting that Kairi was even there. The only thing that registered in her mind was what he just asked her. She came up with something intelligent sounding, "Uh…"

"Yes? No?" Tidus asked, his boyish confidence radiating from him.

Yuna flushed bright red, "Does your mouth really hurt? Or are you only kidding with me?"

Tidus shrugged, "Well, I just really want to kiss you."

Kairi's jaw hit the ground, as she ducked out of sight completely and wondered if she could burrow herself under all the snow.

Yuna's frostbitten cheeks flamed up even more, melting the snow dusting her face. Cat got her tongue.

"And it's fun seeing you turn red like that," Tidus gave the poor girl an honest look, "I promise I'm not kidding around with you, Yuna."

They were drifting closer, and closer – their faces approaching dangerously close. But just then, the both of them were pelted with snowballs at the same time, forcing them to pull away from each other. They stood up together, Tidus looking startled while Yuna was ready to murder the three little brats she called "brothers."

"Uh, I think she's mad guys," Zidane mumbled, trying to hide the incriminating snowball behind his back. But his brothers had already dashed off towards the house. Without delay, he also ran away screaming.

Yuna sighed. That was when Kairi cautiously crawled out of her hiding place under the snow; afraid her friend may turn on her, even though she did nothing but unintentionally eavesdrop. She inched towards Yuna, but her peeved friend merely acknowledged her and invited Tidus to go in the house.

"Sorry about my brothers, Tidus," Yuna mumbled, suddenly shy again, "Let's go inside to dry off. We can make some hot cocoa too…"

Kairi agreed enthusiastically, shoving her unmoving friends towards the house.

Once safely inside and away from the biting cold, Aore greeted them. She was surprised to see Tidus, but ran to get a towel for him as well before ushering everyone into the warm kitchen. As Aore started making hot chocolate and pulling out the batch of fresh chocolate chip cookies from the oven, the three teenagers helped the three brats out of their monstrous snow gear.

"So what are you doing here in the neighborhood?" Yuna asked, "I thought you and the other guys had practice today."

Kairi quirked an eyebrow, momentarily forgetting that Sora was also on the Blitzball team. She quickly freed Zell from the thick snow pants and helped him with the coat buttons.

"Got out early," Tidus explained, "Coach was afraid we'd catch pneumonia. We _were_ swimming around in a big sphere of water outside, before the arena started turning into ice. We were going to take it to the gym, but the weather just kept getting worse."

Yuna smiled, "You're avoiding my question."

Tidus grinned back, "All right. I didn't want to go back to my old man's house." He untangled Zidane from an ultra long scarf.

"Is that so?" Yuna huffed, letting Zack rush off with his brothers.

Kairi smiled at their light banter and walked over to Aore's side to help her set the table. The older woman wiped her brow and pat Kairi's shoulder with an oven mitten.

"It looks like you guys had a water balloon fight instead," She bent closer to Kairi and whispered, "What's that boy doing here? Is he a good friend of yours and Yuna's?"

Kairi nodded, turning her back to her friends so they couldn't see her hands, 'He's a good guy. His name is Tidus, and he goes to school with us.'

Aore looked alarmed for a moment, before reverting into sign language, 'One of the kids who used to bully you and Yuna?'

'_Used_ to,' Kairi emphasized, 'I promise you that he's no longer like that. He and his friends have really changed.'

'If you say so,' Aore responded, looking back at the young man laughing with her daughter. She smiled back at Kairi, 'He doesn't seem like a bad guy. Let's all sit down and have a snack.'

Later, Kairi busied herself with the triplets. The boys had invited her to play some Final Fantasy game, while Tidus and Yuna sat on the couch to watch them. But despite the boys' shouts and screams, Kairi had to try hard not to eavesdrop again.

So she wasn't really trying. It was kind of hard since the couch was only four feet away from her spot on the floor.

"Yuna, I…" Tidus started. He looked into Yuna's bright, mismatched eyes and felt his gut flutter. He didn't know what his problem was. He'd steeled himself for this question since the beginning of the month, but after he finally worked up the courage to ask her in person, he felt his confidence wavering.

What was he afraid of? If she said no, it's not like he didn't have any other girl to ask. But this was Yuna – not just any other girl. And he wanted Yuna to say yes more than anything.

"I…"

"Yes?" Yuna asked, worried all of a sudden, "Are you feeling okay? I didn't break your rib or anything, did I?"

Tidus swallowed, "Yeah, it's fine," he tried again, "I wanted to ask you to… the, to the… you know…"

Yuna nodded slowly, waiting for him to ask the obvious now.

"The dance?" Tidus finally finished his sentence, "Will you go to the dance with me?"

"If I said no?" she teased, relaxing.

Tidus caught onto her mood, bumping her shoulder with his, "You'll find an annoying gnat buzzing around your ear from now till the dance this Saturday."

"That so?" Yuna quipped, "How do I know it's not because you were turned down by all the other ladies you asked?"

Tidus pouted, batting his long eyelashes at her in a picture of innocence, "I'm so hurt, Yuna. Is that really how you think of me? A rotten playboy out chasing skirts?"

"Probably not a rotten playboy," Yuna said thoughtfully, "But maybe someone who likes to chase skirts, yes. At least, that's the impression I've accumulated over the years."

"Well," Tidus murmured, "Your skirt is the only one I want to chase now."

Yuna flushed and stark red, "Tidus!"

"Okay, that came out wrong," Tidus amended, turning a little pink, "But I meant it when I said I wanted to kiss you."

"Oh…" Yuna breathed, her face still burning with color.

An awkward silence passed between them, the only background and intrusive sounds coming form the TV and the triplets.

"You don't have to answer me now…"

"I'll go."

Tidus blinked, "Are you for real?"

Yuna pinched him lightly on the arm, "As real as you are."

Kairi was almost afraid to turn around, not wanting to intrude on their moment – the moment they were probably sharing right now for the second time that day. But she was saved from that when a new voice spoke up.

"I'm home!"

Kairi and the boys turned around, fast enough to see Yuna and Tidus split as if a pillar of fire just erupted between them on the couch. Three guesses who that was, and the first two don't count, Kairi thought.

Braska strode into the room, traces of snow on his long wool coat. He took of the blue hat he was wearing and brushed tiny melting snowflakes from the ends of his tawny brown hair. There was a warm twinkle in his green eyes, expecting to see his family, but it disappeared the instant he saw Tidus sitting on the couch next to Yuna. Just as quickly, the look of surprise left and was replaced with a questioning look.

"Hey dad," Yuna mumbled nervously as the triplets jumped up and attacked their father with sloppy hugs before racing back to the game. Kairi smiled weakly at him as Aore walked into the living room with a hamper full of fresh clothes to fold.

"You're back soon – the blizzard must be getting really bad," Aore set the laundry down before walking over to greet him, "I'm glad you arrived home safely."

Braska's eyes lightened at the sight of his wife before looking back at the two teenagers on the couch, "So Yuna, are you going to introduce your friend?"

Yuna jumped, "Sure… Well, he's from school."

Kairi wasn't sure she wanted to smack Yuna's face or her own. Duh! She mentally grinned at Yuna's poorly concealed nerves.

"I'm Tidus," Tidus spoke, getting up to shake Braska's hand, "I'm in the same grade as Yuna and Kairi."

"I see," Braska said, giving the young man a tentative smile, "This may sound strange, but you wouldn't happen to be related to a Lyra Lafleur would you?"

Tidus was stunned, his blue eyes wide, "Actually, I am. That's my mom."

Braska's eyes warmed, "You look just like her. I'll bet your father is Jecht Reina."

Yuna and Tidus shared a confused look before Yuna spoke, "Dad, how did you know?"

"It's a long story," Braska sighed as Aore pat his shoulder comfortingly, "Jecht and I go way back. Unfortunately, we haven't talked to each other in almost twenty years now." No one broke Braska's contemplative silence until he caught Tidus' gaze with his own again, "Please tell your parents I said hello."

"I will, sir," Tidus swallowed under Braska's piercing eyes. There was much he wanted to ask, but figured now was not the time.

"Mom, Dad," Yuna began, changing the subject, "You know how I've never been to a school dance before?"

Aore smiled knowingly, "Let me guess. Tidus asked you to go with him?"

The two nodded.

Braska nodded as well, "All right, but on two conditions. You two must be back at this house by midnight, and Kairi must go with you since she is staying here with us for the holidays."

Kairi paled, waving her hands frantically, trying to explain how she didn't have a suitable dress among a million other good reasons why she shouldn't go. Though Leon and Yuffie had taught the dancing lessons in the gym class well, Kairi still found herself rather pitiful with two left feet on the floor.

Unfortunately, Yuna wasn't going to have any of it, and her protests went completely ignored.

"You're going," Yuna deadpanned, though there was a smirk on her face, "And Sora's going to take you. As for the dress problem, we'll both be looking into that together. We'll take a sled to the mall if we have to."

Kairi gave up. When Yuna set her mind on something, she would never rest until it was done.

Hopefully Sora wouldn't want to go. But judging the relieved look on Tidus' face, it didn't look like that was going to happen. There was only a few days left, and if Sora didn't ask by then…

A part of her didn't really want to think what kind of dive their fledgling romance would take.

The good part about all this was that it was almost enough to take her mind off of the court case and her parents' murder.

Almost.

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A/N: You're probably going WTF, Sora didn't even appear. That, and for the most part, this chapter was all about Yuna and Tidus. I've always wanted a few chapters dedicated to Yuna and Tidus though. I've never written for Final Fantasy X, but this story has made me consider it. And on top of that, I figured Yuna deserves a little spotlight in here too since she's such a big part of this story. :)

The new semester for me starts tomorrow morning. I'm nervous as hell, but equally as excited. And finishing this chapter has helped bring me some closure for summer's end. It's only a little ironic that I was writing about a blizzard the whole time.

But yes, next chapter will be on the actual winter dance. With a twist.

**Thank you for all your reviews last chapter** – they've really helped encourage me to write. Your names won't be forgotten, for as long as this story remains your names remain as well. Please continue to review! I appreciate any support for this long ass story.

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Question of the Chapter:

What languages do you know, and/or have studied in school?

My Answer:

English, since I was born and raised in America. But since my grandmother lived with my family and couldn't speak anything but Mandarin Chinese, I also became fluent in that. My other grandmother taught me Japanese, but I continued to pursue it after she passed on. And I took four years of Latin in high school, but only absorbed something like four classes worth of it.

By the way, the two years of Spanish and French in middle school don't count, since I don't remember anything.

That's all I know… for now at least. :)

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Streamers and ice cream to Chapter 19's reviewers: emywemy999 , songs , maluka , True-Light-San , KeytoDestiny , xPocKyxx , kitty-gurl1 , Craxuan , AquaFlameElementalist , KaUiA , Nicole-likes-to-smile , Kora Bloom , hideki411 , LoveLife45 , Meep Forever , ParadiseAvenger , KHfan22 , meandor711 , EternallySky , , KH Love Always , CerberAsta , Tara Brin , Transitions End , xTwilightxDestinyx , Akane Naomi , timisnotmyname , kingdommad , ultravioletpapercutsx , divinerosekeeper , Infatuation-x , Moonlight Through the Water , Lakota Tala , RAWRsuzie , lamatikah , Flightfoot , Zlegna120 , EYES to LIE , FlowerLady-Aerith , Midami Uchiha of the sand , Chibi-Love-Angel , Strokes of Everything , Sora's GuardianAngel , KarateKairi , MoonCastic , sashu , BlackButterfly9 , DaLaSquish80198 , Amulet Misty , Tsuraya-chan , and ASTRIDINES .

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	21. Listening to the Snow Fall

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Chapter 21

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Author: Kintora

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A/N: It's that time of the year again! Yellow snow, deer accidents, black ice, and snow storms. Of course, there's also the Christmas cards, hot chocolate, snowball fights, and eggnog to look forward to. Not to mention – _PRESENTS! _Speaking of which, this chapter is a Christmas gift to all those who have kindly supported my story and didn't try to rush me. I know I update slowly, but I should hope by now most of you know that the longer you wait, the better the chapter.

I would like to remind people to please **REVIEW**, or at the very least, please **answer the** **QUESTION** at the end. It's my way of getting to know you guys. Those who do have my thanks, and are listed at the end of each chapter!

So without further adieu, here's my tribute to you.

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_(Previously)_

"_Mom, Dad," Yuna began, changing the subject, "You know how I've never been to a school dance before?"_

_Aore smiled knowingly, "Let me guess. Tidus asked you to go with him?"_

_The two nodded._

_Braska nodded as well, "All right, but on two conditions. You two must be back at this house by midnight, and Kairi must go with you since she is staying here with us for the holidays."_

_Kairi paled, waving her hands frantically, trying to explain how she didn't have a suitable dress among a million other good reasons why she shouldn't go. Though Leon and Yuffie had taught the dancing lessons in the gym class well, Kairi still found herself rather pitiful with two left feet on the floor. _

_Unfortunately, Yuna wasn't going to have any of it, and her protests went completely ignored._

"_You're going," Yuna deadpanned, though there was a smirk on her face, "And Sora's going to take you. As for the dress problem, we'll both be looking into that together. We'll take a sled to the mall if we have to."_

_Kairi gave up. When Yuna set her mind on something, she would never rest until it was done._

_Hopefully Sora wouldn't want to go. But judging the relieved look on Tidus' face, it didn't look like that was going to happen. There was only a few days left, and if Sora didn't ask by then…_

_A part of her didn't really want to think what kind of dive their fledgling romance would take._

_The good part about all this was that it was almost enough to take her mind off of the court case and her parents' murder._

_Almost._

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Tidus was going to leave before he'd really have to ski home, but the Lescas insisted on him staying for dinner. Of course, Yuna was as bashful as ever – perhaps embarrassed by her family's curious advances on him. But Kairi had her own speculations. While Braska had taken to Tidus somewhat, it was actually Aore who he still needed to win over. The one grilling him the most with questions was most certainly Yuna's mother.

But Kairi had to give Tidus credit. The boy was definitely nervous throughout dinner from the way he bobbed his knee under the table, but otherwise he was his sunny, happy-go-lucky self. Even when Aore brought up the past, causing Yuna and Kairi to freeze, Tidus still made a good impression. He was very apologetic, and admitted his wrongs. He also promised that he learned his lessons, and that Yuna really taught him more about life than anyone he'd ever known. And Kairi couldn't help but see Yuna's mind warring on the inside, as if the brunette wanted the questions to stop even though she was glowing in praise.

So dinner ended anti-climatically, but it was the perfect end to a wonderful snowy day. Yuna and Kairi watched Tidus turn once in the sea of fluffy snow to wave goodbye at them, before he trudged his way out of their neighborhood and into the darkness.

When they closed the front door shut, sealing out the frigid air, the two friends retired back to Yuna's room. Snuggled under Yuna's green-blue quilt that night, Kairi couldn't help but worry about her own predicament. She was definitely glad that Yuna was content and excited, but in order let Yuna go to the dance, Kairi had to go too. But Sora never mentioned anything about the dance… So what would happen now? Had he forgotten? Or…

There was too much, yet too little to think about. Instead, Kairi let the sound of Yuna's soft snores lull her into a light, restless sleep.

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All the snowball fights the day before had both Kairi and Yuna utterly spent. It was almost noon when Kairi woke up, not surprisingly the first, since Yuna wasn't exactly an early bird in the first place. Shrugging out of the covers, Kairi trudged out of the room and into the hall to brush her teeth in the bathroom. She could hear Yuna's parents talking downstairs, but there was another voice.

Eyes widening, Kairi made a mad dash into the bathroom, nearly tripping on the rug. She splashed some ice-cold water over her face, not even bothering to wait for the water to warm up. Ringing her freezing hands dry on her flannels, Kairi looked at herself in the mirror.

After running a hand through her messy garnet hair and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she zipped out of the bathroom again and down the stairs.

"Oh Kairi," Aore smiled at her, as Braska flipped a pancake in the pan behind her, "I was just going to go and wake you up. Someone came to see you." She gestured towards the kitchen table.

Kairi returned the smile as the boy sitting at the table turned towards her and offered up his signature smile.

"Morning," Sora said amiably, pointing at the mop of red on Kairi's head, "You've got Alfalfa's hair."

Kairi's hand darted to her head, trying to pat any unruly strands in place, but the action only made Sora laugh. Huffing, she crossed her arms.

'So what are you doing here?'

"How about I tell you after breakfast?" Sora suggested, "I made some brownies and cookies with my mom yesterday after blitz practice was cancelled, so I brought some over out of the goodness of my heart." He made a little frown, "I wish I'd thought to bring some over yesterday when they were fresh out of the oven. But if you heat them up right, they still have that warm, gooey chocolate center."

That's when Kairi noticed the warm scent of brownies and chocolate chip in the air, among the other breakfast smells wafting around. Her tummy rumbled quietly in anticipation to her emabarrassment.

"Sora?" a sleepy voice asked.

Yuna stumbled in beside her friend, leaning against Kairi's shoulder as she suppressed a yawn, "What are you doing here so early?"

"Early?" Braska asked cheerfully from where he stood in front of the stove making enough pancakes and waffles to feed an army, "Honey, you slept right until noon."

Yuna made some incomprehensible sound as she shuffled over to help her parents set the table. Taking the cue, Sora and Kairi found themselves helping their friend set the table, just as the triplets bounced down the stairs and tumbled into the busy kitchen.

"I smell cookies!" Zidane shouted gleefully.

"Inside voices," Yuna mumbled, patting him on the head.

"Yeah, inside voices," Zell said, just as loudly, "Besides, they're not cookies, they're _brownies_."

Zack yawned widely, "It's both, you idiots."

"What did I say about name calling?" Aore spoke up, using _the_ tone on him.

"If you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all," Yuna and the triplets chorused, earning a huffy sigh from their mother and an amused laugh from their father.

Kairi was basking in the glow of being a part of this warm family moment when she looked over at Sora, and noticed the soft look in his blue eyes while he arranged the silverware on the table. Her heart melted all over again, seeing that faraway look in his absent gaze, as if he was remembering something nice and sad at the same time. The lively group continued to banter between themselves without taking notice of Kairi as she walked over to Sora and put a hand on his shoulder.

She felt the warm muscle under her palm tense, but relax again as he was brought back to the moment. Sora only smiled at her, as if to say he was okay. And with her own soft purple gaze, she let him know that she understood him.

As everyone sat down together, Aore treated Sora with the same round of questions she had let loose on Tidus. It was clear that Aore saw Kairi as one of her own and saw it fit to display her protectiveness over her girls. And from the look on Yuna's face, Kairi could tell her best friend was feeling a mix between embarrassment and satisfaction. While Sora handled himself well, Kairi could see that he was just as nervous as Tidus had been the night before, if not more.

But it was thanks to Braska who really got down to business.

"Yuna," her father began, "Does Sora know that Tidus came over here yesterday?"

Yuna blushed upon hearing her father mention the name of the boy on her mind, "Er… Well…"

Sora nodded, "He lives close to me, so he dropped by my house late yesterday night," he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "That guy pigged out on half the sweets I made, but it was actually his idea for me bring some over here today."

"Is that so?" Yuna composed herself, finally chipping in, "Is that also how you found out Kairi was staying here?"

Sora opened his mouth to speak, but Yuna's father broke in again.

"I see…" Braska began understandingly, "I take it you've come here to ask Kairi to the dance then?"

Kairi almost spat her milk out as her wide violet eyes goggled at the older man. She quickly wiped her mouth and attempted to signal a response, but unfortunately, no one was looking at her. Instead, they were all concentrated on Sora. The boy could only give them all a lost look.

"Dance?"

"You mean Tidus didn't tell you what he did yesterday?" Yuna asked, surprise written in her eyes, "He asked me to the Winter Formal…"

Understanding dawned across Sora's face, "That dance. Sorry, I've been a little preoccupied lately and completely forgot about it." He frowned, before looking at Kairi's face. She jolted when she caught his eye, and quickly looked away.

"Oh…" Aore spoke softly, "It's okay. We'll start cleaning up and let you two talk it over. Come on kids."

"Aw, mom…" the triplets groaned in unison. They quickly shuffled off silently to do her bidding as she fixed a no-nonsense look upon them.

Kairi and Sora were both about to lend a hand when Yuna grabbed them and dragged them off to the living room. She fixed her own stern look on them, "Talk. I sense there's something beyond 'preoccupied,' Sora." Her eyes gentled, "Whatever it is, we won't force you to do anything. But it's better to clear the air." With that, she left her friends to their own devices.

Sora dragged a hand through his hair, a clear sign of agitation. Noticing this, Kairi motioned for them to sit down. She also got a feeling that there was more than what met the eye. Perhaps that was why Sora had been putting off asking her? She really doubted that he happened to forget about it since their school had been buzzing about it non-stop.

She had never gone to a dance before… maybe he thought it would be strange to take her to one? What if he thought it was because she didn't want to go? What if it was because he didn't want to go?

What if he put off asking about it… because he didn't want to go with her?

Mentally shaking her thoughts of insecurity from her head, she focused on the tight look that seemed to have replaced the ease he showed earlier around her and Yuna's family. He seemed to be lost in his own thoughts as well, so she reached over and put her hand over his.

'Is something wrong?' she asked when he finally looked at her, 'If it's about the dance, you don't have to ask me if you don't want to.' For once she was almost relieved that she didn't have a voice, for she wasn't sure she could have left the disappointment out of it. The only thing she had to worry about now was to not let it show on her face, which was simple enough to do. Her worry for him overrode her disappointment.

"It's not that, Kairi," Sora sighed, flipping his hand over and weaving their fingers together, "I'd love to go with you, if you really want to go. I've actually never been to any of the winter dances. I was always… busy around Christmas."

Kairi squeezed his warm hand in hers, letting him know she was listening and telling him to go on.

Sora breathed deeply, "Sorry, I haven't told anyone this. Not even the others. Everyone always wonders why I never show up for winter dances, but they never really thought much about it. It's not like I miss all the other school dances. It's just that this time of year always brings up bad memories for me… and my mom."

A chill ran up her spine suddenly, making her stiffen. Kairi stared at him and probed him gently once his blue eyes met hers again, 'Is it… About your father?'

Sora nodded hesitantly, not sure if he was ready to divulge anything more than that. He closed his eyes, wishing he could drive away the terror he felt in his memories.

There was something very drained in his face that made Kairi fill with empathy for him. It was a pain she knew and understood. It had broken her, just as it had broken him. There were layers of mending and healing that cushioned the pain, but even now, she could see the rawness it left behind in him. It made her wonder if she looked like that too when she thought of her parents – or rather, when she thought of not having them with her.

"He died around Christmas Eve," Sora began slowly, he voice so soft and low that only she could hear him, "I told you my mother never really got over it. Normally, she pretends he's alive. But Christmas is when it hits her hard. When she gets home and realizes that he's not there, that really messes with her. So I have to be home. The one year I wasn't…" He closed his pained eyes, his dark brows crashing together in a grimace.

Kairi felt his hands grow clammy and couldn't help feeling a strong pang of anxiety course through her as well.

"She tried… to follow him," he murmured, the words stilted as if he had never spoken them out loud. She could only imagine how that had haunted him in silence, "I told her where I was going… but when she came home to an empty house, panic must have set in. She probably thought I was gone-gone, like dad." He rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly, "I thought she was getting better. I thought she could handle being alone that Christmas, so I let my friends persuade me to go to a winter dance in middle school. I knew I shouldn't have but I wanted to believe she was okay."

Squeezing his hand, Kairi hoped he understood what she was trying to tell him. She felt her own heart hammering in her chest, and her blood was running cold and backwards under her skin. A part of her wanted to stop him, but she felt like she couldn't. The weight of his words was so heavy that it was weighing her down. He had to be the one to finish what he had started.

Sora smiled at her, although it was absent and halfhearted, "I was able to stop her, and help her forget it ever happened. She's stable most of the time, passionate about her work and her job. She's a caring person. And I know the truth will destroy her – she'd never mean to abandon me. But I will never forget the night I almost lost her."

Like a spell had been lifted, Kairi felt like she could move again. Silently, she leaned against his shoulder, lending him her warmth. She felt him turn and rest his face in her hair, and heard him breathe slowly, his warm breath fanning her neck.

When Yuna came to hear their verdict, that was how she saw them, and immediately let them be again.

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Sora left soon afterwards, and promised to visit again since the triplets had taken a liking to him, especially since he had brought enough brownies and cookies to satiate their gluttonous appetites. The day went on as it usually would, but when night fell and everyone was tucked in bed, Yuna was tired of waiting for Kairi to tell her what was going on.

"Kairi," she began, turning onto her side to look at her friend, "I don't want to pry, but what did Sora talk to you about? It looked… well, it _didn't_ look like he was asking you to the dance."

Kairi was still at first, but then she sat up and turned on the lamp light, deciding that Yuna deserved to hear hers and Sora's decisions. Yuna just waited patiently, watching her friend fiddle with her thumbs for a bit, before Kairi's hands moved.

'We're not going, Yuna… We can't.'

"What?" Yuna exclaimed, before lowering her voice, "What do you mean you can't? Says who?"

Kairi shook her head, feeling frustrated. Yuna may be her best friend, but it wasn't her place to tell her what Sora told her. So how could she explain things without going over the invisible boundaries?

'It's not like that!' Kairi thought for a moment, 'He doesn't go to winter dances.'

Yuna nodded slowly, growing confused and worried from the way Kairi was frowning, "And? Is everything okay? Did something happen?"

'His dad died around this time,' Kairi told her, almost wincing as she did. At least that was enough to satisfy Yuna from the way her friend nodded understandingly. A part of her felt bad for only revealing the half-truth to her, but she decided that perhaps in time Yuna would know. Now was just not the right time, nor the right place.

"I see…" Yuna trailed off, but her eyes didn't lose the determined look in them, "But that doesn't mean you have to stay here and miss out. This will be the first time that either of us attends! We could have fun with the others, even if we're short one person."

'There's no one else I want to go with, Yuna,' Kairi shrugged, snuggling back down under her covers.

Yuna frowned, "You don't have to go with a date. Is that what you're worried about?"

'No,' Kairi almost scoffed, 'I'm worried about Sora. As much as I'd love to have fun with everyone, I don't want to go without him.'

"I guess that makes sense," Yuna said, trying not to sound too let down, "Does Sora know you're not going to the dance?"

Kairi shrugged again, 'I didn't tell him. It didn't feel right to bring up the dance again.'

"The what are you going to do that night?" Yuna asked, "Please don't tell me you're going to stay home and turn into a couch potato, with only a Disney movie for company. Mom and Dad are taking the three brats to their school holiday event that same night! And I doubt you'd go with them."

'I don't mind being alone,' Kairi yawned, stretching her arms and legs before curling up, 'It's nice having some time to myself.'

Deciding that there was no way she could persuade her, Yuna sighed and reached over to turn the light off.

Of course, this called for a little intervention.

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_**A/N:**__ Well, I was going to just end it here, but it's Christmas and most of you have been waiting patiently. So since this chapter is my gift to you – seeing as today is Christmas day – I'll do you guys a favor, and get on with it. So do me a favor, and let me know what you think via that review button. ;)_

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Kairi helped Yuna's parents take pictures of Yuna and Tidus before they left for the Winter Formal. As she snapped shot after shot of the shy but happy duo, she couldn't help but think that she and Sora could have been doing the same thing. She and Yuna had rushed to the mall as soon as the snow let up, and found the perfect blue dress for Yuna. There had been an intense argument as to whether or not Kairi was to get herself a dress too, even though she wasn't going at all.

And Kairi had won, so she had escaped Yuna's plan to stuff her in a dress she wouldn't get to wear.

But being the nice friend she was, Kairi let her friend put some makeup on her while she helped Yuna get ready for the dance. And now she was glad she let Yuna torture her so that she didn't look completely out of place in her long T-shirt and jeans when Yuna insisted on taking pictures with her. Even Tidus jumped in and goofed off with her and Yuna.

Soon after Tidus and Yuna left, Yuna's parents also left with the triplets, but not before making sure Kairi had Yuna's cell phone so she could at least text in case an emergency came up. Aore really wanted to force Kairi to go with them to the triplets' school event, not wanting to leave her all alone, but Kairi insisted that she was fine watching the house.

As Kairi watched their mini-van drive from the small porch, she looked up at the cold, dark sky and noticed tiny snow flurries drifting down. Some caught on her lashes, melting immediately, but the frigid air cutting through her sweatshirt reminded her to hurry back into the house. Locking up the door and double-checking all the locks in the house, Kairi made her way to the kitchen to fix herself a mug of hot chocolate.

She was curled up on the sofa watching a rerun of Beauty and the Beast when she heard a dull crunching sound outside. At first, she ignored it, thinking it was her imagination. But then it happened again.

_Thud. Thud. Crunch._

Unnerved, Kairi turned off the TV and put down the remote. There was no way she could watch a movie and pretend she hadn't heard those sounds. Gripping Yuna's cell in her hand, she listened to the footsteps outside and decided it was coming from outside the front door. Silently as a ghost, Kairi crept down the front hall and looked out the peephole.

She was most startled to see who it was.

Unlocking the door, Kairi swung it open before the visitor could press the doorbell. A blast of cold wind froze her to her bones and forced a violent shudder out of her.

'What are you doing?' Kairi gaped, grabbing his hand and pulling him inside, 'I thought you had to stay home!'

Sora pulled her into a hug, pushing the door closed so that the cold air was sealed out of the warm house again. He squeezed her tightly, not enough to hurt but enough to make her return the hug just as hard. Her garnet hair glowed with health and felt smooth and cool under his cheek. If he could, he wished they could have stayed like that forever.

But Kairi was the first to break it up as she pulled away and led them into the lit kitchen, drawing up some cocoa for him and retrieving hers for a refill. As they sat down at the table, she looked at him expectantly, her cheeks and lips looking pinker than usual.

Sora smiled sheepishly, "I wanted to see off Tidus and Yuna with you, but I had to make sure my mom was okay first. It took a little while longer than I thought getting here, what with the snow beginning to come down now. Turns out that I was late."

Kairi nodded, 'Then you shouldn't stay too long. Your mom needs you.'

"Yeah," Sora agreed, his smile turning a bit goofy, "But I need you."

Shaking her head, Kairi grinned back, 'That is so corny.' She sipped her cocoa.

Sora only shrugged, "It's true. I really wanted to take you to the dance this year."

Kairi sobered up, setting her cup down, 'I know, but it can't be helped. I would have loved to go with you,' She paused for a second before looking at him curiously, 'I think your story has holes. How did you know I would still be here home alone? If you knew you might be late, why didn't you just stay home with your mom?' Her purple eyes were more luminous than ever as they inquired him with their stare.

"I'm caught," Sora laughed, "Yuna told me that you weren't going to the dance at all at the last minute today. I had assumed you would still go without me, but she said you were being stubborn."

Kairi puffed up, about to refute the last statement when Sora continued.

"Well, wait. Just listen for a moment. I didn't like the idea of you staying here alone while everyone else was out having fun. So Yuna gave me her parents' number, and I called them to ask if you could come over to my place for a bit," he frowned into his hot chocolate, trying suppress the heat on his face, "You don't have to go with me or anything. I just wanted to check in on you. But if you do decide to go with me, Yuna's dad said to have you back before midnight."

All thoughts of telling him that she would be okay on her own disappeared. Deep down, she hadn't really wanted to be alone. She felt her resolve melt at the thought of having some company. She smiled. There really was no competition.

'Of course I'll go. You didn't think I'd actually say no, did you?'

Sora looked away, "Honestly, I didn't know. I just felt like I had disappointed you, for not taking you to the dance and all. I guess there was a chance you would have been mad enough to say no."

Kairi shook her head, tapping his hand with her finger to get his attention, 'I was never mad, Sora. Don't guilt yourself when you don't have to. Trust me a little more.' Her gaze bore earnestly into his so he understood.

"I'm trying," Sora breathed softly, pulling her warm hand in his, "I never shared so much with anyone before. I guess I didn't know what to expect."

Kairi gave his hand a warm squeeze, 'I'm new at this too. Let's work on it together,' she stood up, 'Let me clean up and grab a coat.'

Before they left, Kairi slipped the present she had made for Sora into her coat pocket, hoping she could give it to him before the night was over.

…

Before long, Kairi and Sora were out the door, trekking through the gently falling snow, their breaths coming out in wispy white clouds as they puffed their way to Sora's house. It was a fifteen-minute walk, short by most standards, but it felt impossibly long in the freezing night. By the time they arrived, Kairi couldn't feel her nose or her forehead.

"Mom! I'm home, and Kairi's here too," Sora called the instant he opened the door, stomping the snow off before actually entering. Kairi followed close behind. "Mom?"

"In the kitchen, sweetheart," a familiar voice called back.

Sora helped Kairi hang her coat up before they both made their way into the cozy little kitchen, following the scent of hot cider and cinnamon buns. The instant they arrived, Mrs. Risado swept over and enveloped them both in a big hug, apologizing when she accidentally got flour on them. Sora just brushed it off before throwing on a blue apron and giving Kairi a spare green one. Before long, his mother set them to work in the kitchen making batches upon batches of sweets.

Kairi turned to ask Sora which of the unlabeled jars was sugar and salt when she felt him touch her nose with his cookie dough coated finger. She pouted, 'If you were trying to get me to taste it, you missed.'

Sora grinned down at her, "I didn't." Before she could protest, he leaned down and kissed her nose. It was so chaste that Kairi barely saw it coming. She caught Mrs. Risado's amused, blue gaze before blushing furiously and attacking the brownie batter in front of her with the electric beater.

Kairi was almost worried at the amount they were making but Sora assured her that only some of it was going to stay. The rest was going into neat little goody bags to give away as Christmas gifts at the police station. In fact, Mrs. Risado mentioned she was on call and that she had a night shift. She felt badly for not being able to stay, but Sora and Kairi assured her it was okay.

"My, it's almost eleven. What time did you say Kairi had to be home by?" Mrs. Risado asked as she hung up her apron and began to load the freshly baked and packaged sweets into a brown grocery bag, "Does she need a ride back?"

"It's all right, mom. Yuna's dad said to bring her home before twelve. I know you have to get to work, so we'll be okay walking back," Sora said, "We'll clean up for you too."

"Are you sure? It's freezing! I don't want you two getting sick if you get lost. It's snowing and it's dark out."

Kairi smiled as Sora let out an exasperated sigh, "It's a short walk, Mom. You have to go or else you'll be late. You don't want the chief to get mad now."

"As if – I _am_ bringing some warm midnight snacks to share. He'd have to be grateful," Mrs. Risado scoffed playfully, "But all right, Sora. You and Kairi take care! I'll be home in the morning."

After getting a goodbye hug from Sora's frazzled mother, Kairi helped Sora clean the trays and wash the batter bowl. They each grabbed a cooling cinnamon bun, and washed it down with milk before deciding to heading back to Yuna's house.

The walk was mostly silent since it was hard to see each other's faces in the dark. But halfway through, Sora stopped her in an open area that they had to cross earlier. It was a small, discreet clearing that separated their neighborhoods and was fringed with sleeping trees. Kairi looked curiously at Sora, wondering why they had stopped here of all places.

Sora must have sensed her confusion for he gave her a lop-sided grin to assure her.

"Listen."

Kairi frowned but did what he said. She strained her ears in the silence, trying to pick up what he was picking up. Neither said a word, and just stood side-by-side, close but not touching. A few minutes went by, and Kairi was sure that all she could hear was the chattering of her teeth in her head.

Sora nudged her gently, "What do you hear?"

Luckily the ground was covered in fluffy white snow, reflecting the moonlight. Otherwise, Sora wouldn't have been able to see her lips moving, 'I don't know. It's quiet. What were you listening to?'

"I was listening to the snow fall," Sora responded quietly, as if he didn't want to disturb the serenity in the clearing.

Kairi looked up into the sky, blinking when the snowflakes caught on her dark lashes. The snow drifted slowly all around them, the occasional wind whipping up glittering clouds of it from the ground. But mostly, they fell in a swirling fashion as if in a dance she couldn't hear the music to.

Dance?

When she looked back at Sora, she wondered if they were making the same thought connection. He turned to her.

"You hear it, don't you?"

Kairi looked a little longer into his sky blue eyes, searchingly. She gave him a tentative smile when he held out his gloved hand to her, and she took it with one of her mitten-clad hands. In one swift motion, Sora pulled her up against him, holding her around the waist while she let her arms rest around his neck.

A part of her felt a little silly, dancing to no music. But at the same time, it felt strangely more intimate than if there had been some slow song playing in the background. She forgot about her two left feet. She forgot about time. All she could see was Sora and the moon bright snow billowing around them, as if the scenery was moving with them. As if they were moving with the scene. They could have been inside a shaken up snow globe, and she wouldn't have known the difference.

He picked her up and swung her around till she felt as weightless as the snow floating around them. Their movements felt uncoordinated and at times clumsy, but the joy she felt made her forget everything but the moment they were spending together. It was cold, but the wind no longer felt as chill as it had been. Her teeth no longer chattered and her bones no longer ached from the cold. All that mattered were their smiles and silent laughter.

She never let go of him once.

What felt like neither a long time nor a short time, soon came to an end as Sora slowed them both down even more until they were barely swaying at all. Sora leaned his head down, resting his forehead against hers, their breaths mingling, and warming each other's rosy cheeks.

"I'm not good at making analogies," Sora began, "But listening to the snow fall reminds me of us."

'Why?' Kairi asked, completely out of breath.

"Sometimes when you stand somewhere in the quiet while it is snowing, you can almost hear it landing on the ground. It's such a soft sound that sometimes, you don't know if you're really hearing it or not."

She let out a long breath, 'I don't understand.'

"Yeah, it's a stretch," Sora grinned, though his eyes remained intense, "I remember trying to deny what I felt. But sometimes when I wasn't doing anything and just let my mind wander quietly, my thoughts would become a little clearer. Listening to my heart felt like listening to the snow – I didn't know if I was really hearing it or not."

'How about now?'

He brought his gloved hands up and cupped her face.

"I think you and I both know."

Just when she thought he would kiss her, let his hands drop from her rosy face. She couldn't help but feel disappointed as she watched him pull away from her. But he only did so, so he could pull something out from the inside of his jacket. She looked on curiously as he handed her what appeared to be a wrapped book.

Gently, she took it from him, running a mitten over the glossy wrapping paper before looking up at him in awe, 'Is this my Christmas present?'

Sora nodded and rubbed the back of his head, "I was going to give it to you on Christmas, but now just seems more appropriate."

Kairi smiled up at him, reaching into her own coat pocket and pulling out her gift to him, 'I'm glad I took this with me then. It's not much, but it took a while to make. You can open it right now.'

Sora took off a glove so he could untie the ribbon holding the wrapping paper together. As he pulled down the paper, he discovered a glass star shaped object resting in his hand. It reflected the moon and snow, but inside contained little paper stars. In the moonlight, he could see his name written on the glass surface in Kairi's pretty handwriting. Attached to the top was a ribbon.

"My mom's going to love seeing this paopu ornament on the tree at home," Sora said giving her a hug, "It's beautiful."

Kairi beamed, holding up her gift, 'Can I?'

Sora laughed, "I don't see why not."

Kairi picked carefully at the sellotape, not wanting damage whatever was inside. When she uncovered it, she was surprised to see a leather-bound book. When she opened it, all she could see was page after page of wrinkled papers carefully sealed in plastic sleeves. A carefully mended drawing caught her attention, and she felt tears prickling the corners of her eyes when she recognized it as one of hers.

Sora was alarmed, but had half-expected a reaction like it, "I tried to fix as much as I could – whatever I could find after the janitor threw the papers out. Some of it was waterlogged, so it was hard to tell what went where. I did my best with a hairdryer, but…"

Kairi looked up at him, her eyes glossy with unshed tears. She opened her mouth, but couldn't form what she wanted to tell him. Sora fidgeted uneasily as he tried to explain.

"I couldn't forget it – what we did, what _I_ did to you. That was when I started waking up and realizing what I was doing was wrong," Sora closed his eyes, regret washing through him, "I can't ever fix the past completely, like I couldn't completely fix your work I destroyed that day. But I will do my best to mend and rebuild what I can."

Not caring that her nose was beginning to run a little, Kairi grabbed the front of his coat and buried her face against his chest. Sora wrapped his arms around her, hoping it was enough to keep her together. He didn't have to wait long for Kairi to look back at him. But what surprised him was that while she was still crying, she was actually smiling.

'Thank you,' she told him, rubbing her face with a mitten.

"Kairi, I…" Sora began shaking his head, but Kairi wouldn't hear of it.

'No, Sora,' she brushed a stray lock of chocolate brown hair out of his face, 'This is the most thoughtful Christmas present I could have gotten from you.'

Sora was at lost for words, but chose to smile at her. "You're welcome," He said, helping her wipe away the stray tears from her cheeks, "We better go. It'll be midnight soon."

Vaguely, Kairi thought of how midnight signaled the end of the magic that had been bestowed upon her this night of all nights. But the stroke of midnight had not come yet.

'Wait,' Kairi stopped Sora before they could leave, 'I still have one more gift to give you.'

Sora didn't pull away when she brought his face down to hers and kissed him. Her lips felt incredibly soft and sweet against his, prying yet yielding as she encouraged him to respond. He wasn't particularly sensitive sometimes, but the tenderness in which she kissed him wasn't something he would be forgetting anytime soon, if ever. He dipped her head back, deepening the most intoxicating kiss they had shared yet.

When they finally pulled away, both were slightly breathless. They leaned into each other to catch their breaths and stay warm. Kairi recovered first.

'I'll be listening to the snow fall more often,' she told him.

"Me too," Sora agreed, "Merry Christmas, Kairi."

She smiled up at him as he kissed the top of her head.

'Merry Christmas, Sora.'

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A/N: Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everyone. I hope this is enough fluff for you until the next update! I know this chapter was a bit of a curve ball, but it was still sweet, no? Despite them not going to the actual dance.

**Please remember to leave a review as well as an answer to the question below! **Thanks, guys.

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Question of the Chapter:

What music do you listen to this time of year? Does it vary from season to season – holiday to holiday?

My Answer:

I'm listening to Enya's "_And Winter Came…_" album – in fact, I was listening to it while I was writing much of this chapter. I like Enya in general, especially during the winter holidays. There's this sort of ambience about her music that really puts me into a writing/working mood. Other times, it puts me to sleep. But I listen to whatever I think sounds good year round. Like in the summer, I enjoy more summery music, like songs from _Chrono Cross_.

For now though, I'm obsessed with Enya's "Trains and Winter Rains" song. The music video was very good. :)

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Candy Canes and Hot Chocolate to Chapter 20's reviewers: timisnotmyname , FlowerLady-Aerith , sashu , KHfan22 , LoveLife45 , TrueLightSan , _anonymous_ , xTwichii , Kingdommad , Kora Bloom , Flightfoot, Amulet Misty , Infatuation-x , ParadiseAvenger , , xPocKyxx , lamatikah , Meep Forever , kitty-gurl1 , Sora's GuardianAngel , CrimsonAngel , hideki411 , MoonCastic , pen wizard , ASTRIDINES , Airoh, EternallySky , xLeeny , xTwilightxDestinyx , SKgirl101, Chibi-Love-Angel , AquaFlameElementalist , EYES to LIE , the weird kid , CerberAsta , brian6330 , Icetiger 13 , theleadingman08 , Rivendell101 , KaUiA , AKAAkira , and ventus4ever .

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	22. Fear of the New Year

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Chapter 22

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Author: Kintora

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A/N: Been two years since my last update… Been around the world and back again, _literally_. But thanks to your encouraging words, and inspiration from a fellow author who recovered from a five-year hiatus on her story… I churned out this new chapter from the half-assed piece of work, collecting dust inside my hard drive.

Not that people actually read my notes, but I'd like to clarify that, **_yes_**, I know there are some inconsistencies in here. It's been a long time since I started this story, and couldn't make up my mind about many things (i.e. whether Kairi's legal guardians were fosters, steps, or adopted.) And even when I did, I flubbed it up sometimes out of habit.

Also, I know I've been bending legalese like crazy, but just go along with it please!

On top of that, if you could leave a review instead of only subscribing, it would be **GREATLY** appreciated.

Thanks again for your patience!

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_(Previously)_

_Kairi looked up at him, her eyes glossy with unshed tears. She opened her mouth, but couldn't form what she wanted to tell him. Sora fidgeted uneasily as he tried to explain._

"_I couldn't forget it – what we did, what I did to you. That was when I started waking up and realizing what I was doing was wrong," Sora closed his eyes, regret washing through him, "I can't ever fix the past completely, like I couldn't completely fix your work I destroyed that day. But I will do my best to mend and rebuild what I can."_

_Not caring that her nose was beginning to run a little, Kairi grabbed the front of his coat and buried her face against his chest. Sora wrapped his arms around her, hoping it was enough to keep her together. He didn't have to wait long for Kairi to look back at him. But what surprised him was that while she was still crying, she was actually smiling._

'_Thank you,' she told him, rubbing her face with a mitten._

"_Kairi, I…" Sora began shaking his head, but Kairi wouldn't hear of it._

'_No, Sora,' she brushed a stray lock of chocolate brown hair out of his face, 'This is the most thoughtful Christmas present I could have gotten from you.'_

_Sora was at lost for words, but chose to smile at her. "You're welcome," He said, helping her wipe away the stray tears from her cheeks, "We better go. It'll be midnight soon."_

_Vaguely, Kairi thought of how midnight signaled the end of the magic that had been bestowed upon her this night of all nights. But the stroke of midnight had not come yet._

'_Wait,' Kairi stopped Sora before they could leave, 'I still have one more gift to give you.'_

_Sora didn't pull away when she brought his face down to hers and kissed him. Her lips felt incredibly soft and sweet against his, prying yet yielding as she encouraged him to respond. He wasn't particularly sensitive sometimes, but the tenderness in which she kissed him wasn't something he would be forgetting anytime soon, if ever. He dipped her head back, deepening the most intoxicating kiss they had shared yet. _

_When they finally pulled away, both were slightly breathless. They leaned into each other to catch their breaths and stay warm. Kairi recovered first._

'_I'll be listening to the snow fall more often,' she told him._

"_Me too," Sora agreed, "Merry Christmas, Kairi."_

_She smiled up at him as he kissed the top of her head. _

'_Merry Christmas, Sora.'_

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After the midnight dance with Sora, he'd taken her back to Yuna's house where Yuna's parents were just tucking the three stooges into bed. After thanking them for letting Kairi visit, Sora left but not before she caught him under the mistletoe hanging above the front door.

Later that night, Yuna stumbled home, bid her waiting parents goodnight and slipped into the room. Luckily, Kairi was still awake when Yuna waltzed into the room, changed, and ready to hit the sack.

However, before Kairi could wish her a goodnight, Yuna opened her mouth. What came next was a report that went on for fifty miles and kept going.

Apparently, Tidus and Yuna's romantic night kept getting interrupted every time they tried to go for their first kiss. As a very social Christmas dance, it lacked the privacy they'd wanted. With the rest of the student body gyrating and rubbing itself into a dark, steamy mess within the confines of a single ballroom, it was hard to get a word in edgewise over the blaring music anyway.

"Then something really crazy happened!" Yuna sped up, her mouth going a hundred miles per hour as she hurried to finish her story, "I don't know if you've noticed, but Wakka's been crushing hard on Lulu these past few weeks. He's really a sensitive guy under all that hard muscle, and he's been trying to figure out how to let her know without really letting her know. And you know how you should never drink the punch at parties? Wakka drank almost half of it to cool his nerves, when he saw her there! Obviously, the punch was spiked, but Wakka must have been too distracted to tell. He was walking all weird, and we tried to get him out of there before he start screaming really bad Shakespeare at her…"

Yuna took a breath, and Kairi wondered if her face was usually that red. Perhaps Yuna had some of that punch too, even though she said no one should. Then again, she was acting more like someone shot her full of caffeine instead alcohol.

"By the time we got Wakka to the bathrooms outside of the hotel's ballroom, he was crying," Yuna grimaced, her eyes full of sympathy, "I don't know if it was the alcohol or not, but he had it bad. Tidus had to sit with him in the bathroom listening to Wakka retell him his life's story. I was waiting outside for them with Rikku, Selphie, and their dates – two guys from the local all boys' school… Gippal and Irvine? The other Riku was trying to escape his clingy date, so I think he'd left already. Anyway, the next thing we knew, Tidus ran out of the bathroom like he'd just witnessed a murder scene. We were all freaking out, wondering if something had happened to Wakka, though he sounded all right through the door… he was just crooning 'Hey Jude' to himself in the background, but–"

Kairi waved a hand in her face to bring her back down to earth, 'Yuna. Breathe.' Her friend nodded, gulping in a few breaths of air before returning to her story, albeit a little more normally this time.

"Well, Tidus looked traumatized. He couldn't speak for the life of him. The next thing I knew, he had me crushed against the wall and was kissing the living daylights out of me in front of everyone."

Kairi felt surprised, having a hard time imagining Tidus doing any of those things. He could be silly, but he'd always seemed more collected than that.

"I know," Yuna exclaimed breathlessly, reading Kairi's expression, "I thought so too! I never thought our first kiss would be like that, not in a million years. But then Tidus calmed down and stormed back into the men's bathroom. We heard something like, 'Stick your tongue down my throat again Wakka, and you'll be missing more than just the best man at your wedding!'"

If Kairi could laugh out loud, she would have. Yuna joined in with her giggling, only she had to keep it down since the rest of the family was already in bed. Poor Wakka, Kairi thought, but then amended, poor Tidus.

"We told the others to stay since I had curfew anyway, and we drove Wakka home. Luckily he didn't get sick in the car, but he did get sick walking down his driveway. We stayed with him a little longer after, which is why I was a little late coming home. His parents were at some party, but luckily Chappu, his little brother, was home. He came out to see what was going on, and then took Wakka inside saying he'd be able to take care of him. What a good kid – he was only in middle school too."

Kairi nodded, sort of wishing she'd been there to help out with so many things happening all at a normal school dance, but she wouldn't have traded her night with Sora for any other craziness that happened that evening.

Yuna sighed dreamily, a smile still gracing her face, "While it was not my ideal kiss, it was still enough to wow me," she rolled over to look at Kairi, "How about you? Did you like the present I sent over to you?" She grinned mischievously.

'Yes, it was quite thoughtful of you,' Kairi told her, 'Thank you, for real though. We had a nice night.'

Yuna nodded expectantly, "And?"

'Nothing as interesting as your night,' Kairi thought, 'Well, I went over to his place and helped him and his mom make some desserts and goodie bags for her to bring back to the precinct. She has a late shift tonight since tomorrow's Christmas Eve.'

Yuna appeared satisfied with the story, or was finally feeling the energy drain from her as she couldn't seem to keep her eyelids open any longer. Kairi was about to turn the lights off when Yuna mumbled something about grilling her later. Smiling at her exhausted friend, she finally switched off the lamp, cuddled into an extra pillow, and fell asleep listening to Yuna's light snores.

…

Christmas passed without incident. At least, if setting the mistletoe on fire and getting sick after sneaking champagne didn't count. The triplets were awfully sorry about all that, but didn't get off scot-free with their mother. However, the holiday season was becoming increasingly festive as New Year's was approaching in just a few days. So luckily for Zack, Zell, and Zidane, Aore only made them clean their room twice and write one apology essay about why they deserved it.

Other than that, Kairi fervently wished the holidays would last forever so that the trial would never come. As much as she trusted everyone helping and supporting her through everything, she couldn't help but feel wary from the single grain of doubt irritating her mind.

Besides, this was the best holiday she'd had yet in a very long time. She'd be damned if she didn't make the most of it. Although she wished – sincerely hoped – that this would not be the last time.

With New Year's approaching in less than a week, Kairi found that she had very little time to spend with Sora. The school's art festival was scheduled for New Year's Eve, and since it was a community event, the school board committee arranged for an outdoor plasma screen for the viewing of the countdown. To make things even livelier, not only was a full-blown carnival invited, but a buffet banquet of sorts was being set up too.

Needless to say, there were more things that needed to be done than the number of people they had on hand. Kairi and her other classmates found themselves not only setting up the galleries and showings, but also running around working with multiple other committees to set up the madness.

The morning of New Year's Eve, Kairi and Yuna found themselves waking up sluggishly at the crack of dawn.

Feeling like a pair of zombies, they got ready and left home to finish setting up the stalls they'd be manning for much of the day. However, they didn't wake up completely until they reached the carnival grounds and discovered an enormous plaster sculpture sitting on a raised platform. At first, Kairi didn't recognize it, but then she realized it was the piece Yuna and Tidus had tackled over the past few weeks. The two of them had been working feverishly on a series of warped white limbs, but now that it was put together, Kairi could see that all the pieces together created one massive tree.

Yuna gapped, "I thought Tidus was going to wait so we could assemble it together today!"

Kairi nodded, silent as always, but she too shared the same awe. The white tree appeared to be growing out of the water, having been place over a wide low-rise fountain. Its reflection spread its winding limbs all across the surface of the water. And the water itself appeared to glow and shimmer from the hundreds upon hundreds of glass marbles lying at the base of the pool. In an endearing way, the tree fountain reminded Kairi of a wishing well.

Just then, there was a loud, disembodied snore that made them both jump. Looking at each other, they walked around the wishing pond and observed a curious sight. Behind the giant white tree was the entire Blitzball team plus a few other familiar faces that belonged to other school clubs.

Unable to help herself, Yuna took out her camera and took a photo of everyone huddled deep inside makeshift sleeping bags, dozing at the edge of the water, under the pale reaching branches. Kairi grinned.

They returned again before nine to discover their disgruntled peers just waking up, just in time for breakfast. Kairi was glad they took the pains of buying enough coffee and donuts to wire an entire wing of kindergartens for the rest of the day. Yuna waved a donut under Tidus' twitching nose while Kairi set a warm cup of coffee on Sora's forehead, jarring their friends awake.

Tidus yawned and Yuna stuck the donut into his open mouth. He groaned incoherently, "Fivoreinuteshleasheee…"

"If you keep sleeping out here, you'll be too sick to hang out with me for the rest of winter break," Yuna warned.

Tidus sat up abruptly, donut falling into his lap, "Crap!"

"What?" Yuna asked, alarmed.

"I didn't get to see it."

"See what?"

Tidus sighed, "Your reaction of course. I asked everyone for some help to put the tree and fountain together with me. I wanted to surprise you…"

Sora floundered for the coffee cup on his head and also sat up. He yawned obnoxiously, "Oh yeah, he dragged me out my house, the instant he found out you and Kairi left for the night. Then he called every available person he could to help," he grinned goofily at Kairi, "After a couple of hours slaving away, the next thing we know, we're all waking up out here and seeing your lovely faces."

Kairi shook her head, poking his forehead as she handed him a donut. Yuna rolled her eyes, but she appeared very proud and rather flattered as her eyes wandered back to the amazing sight, "I'm floored, Tidus. All this looks fantastic! Way better than the original designs."

Tidus beamed, his breath turning into white wisps, "Wait till you see it tonight. This whole place is going to light up! It'll look like the Macalania Forest you told me you've always wanted to see. After that snowstorm, I was afraid the water would freeze over but we're lucky the forecast says this New Year's won't be cold enough for that."

"You really outdid yourselves," Yuna complimented again, kissing his cheek and standing up to help pass out more breakfast to other stirring lumps in sleeping bags.

The rest of the day started slowly but by noon, the festival grounds were flooded with parents chasing after their kids and adolescents smooching in any remotely private nook and cranny. The noise level had risen to an almost obscene level in Kairi's opinion, but she bore it with good humor. It was a New Year's fair as much as it was a school festival after all. Besides, she was mostly tucked away in the tents, manning the galleries. It was Yuna, Lulu, and other art committee members took turns facing the music outside at the stalls and conducting the biddings.

It was getting late in the evening when Sora arrived to find Kairi recording the inventory. Kairi saw him and smiled as he approached.

"Here," Sora passed her a cup of peppermint tea and a paper bag with a toasty hotdog in it, "I thought you'd be hungry around now. I was gonna try to convince you to take a break, but I can see you're as good as glued to this place."

'Sorry,' Kairi grinned sheepishly at him, as Sora pulled out his own dinner, 'I promise to hang out with you as soon as my shift ends at six. I just have to meet Yuna and her family at the tree later.'

"Can't get you alone at all, huh?" he teased.

Kairi flounced her hair jokingly, 'Guess I'm just too popular for Mr. Popular.'

Sora rolled his eyes, enjoying the rest of his hotdog, "All right, Miss America, I'll leave you alone so you can get back to work. I only came here to make sure you ate something. You need to be at least semi-sentient for the countdown, you know."

Kairi's jaw dropped, before she recovered. His playful smirk incited her to begin a tickle war, which sent Sora running. Unfortunately, he almost bulldozed Yuna as she came into the gallery to check on the ruckus.

"Yikes," Yuna narrowed her eyes at her sheepish friend, "What in the world did you do to him to make him shoot out of here like a frightened chocobo, Kairi?"

Kairi shrugged innocently, and was about to explain when Sora walked back into the tent again, but with his phone pressed to his ear. She was about to harass him, but the look on his face froze her. Yuna also tensed, sensing something was not quite right.

"Don't worry, Mom. Kairi's right here, I'm with her now."

Kairi and Yuna edged closer to Sora, their expressions growing more alarmed. Sora put a hand on Kairi shoulder, though it did little to assure her. His brows furrowed suddenly as he snapped, "What? That can't be right!"

There was more silence as Sora struggled to contain his emotions. After a moment, he spoke calmly into the phone again, "Okay. I'll tell them. See you in a bit, Mom."

There was a pause.

"Love you too," Sora said quietly before finally hanging up. He shoved his phone into his jeans before rounding on Yuna, "Do you know where your parents are? I need to talk to them."

Yuna started, her eyes widening, "Y-yeah, I'll go call them right now." She gave them both a worried look before hurrying off to use her phone.

Kairi grabbed Sora's hand from her shoulder, her hand clammy against his, 'What's going on? You're scaring me.'

Sora laced his fingers with hers, his blue eyes troubled.

"It's about the Burns," Sora began slowly, as if he was wondering if there was an easier way to explain the impossible to her.

Kairi felt her gut twist.

"Barry Burns was found murdered."

Her skin crawled while ice lanced through her veins. As if that wasn't enough, Sora squeezed her frigid hand before telling her the worst part, "Cara Burns is missing…"

Missing?

Kairi felt numb as the situation dawned on her.

"The police are looking for her right now, but my mom thinks you may be in danger."

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A/N: Not exactly the best chapter I've written, but it's definitely going somewhere after a long static wait.

**Review and answer my question please! Thanks. :)**

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Question of the Chapter:

Were you expecting the twist at the end of this chapter?

My Answer:

No! And I'm the author… Good news though, I think I finally know how to end this story. :)

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**Chocolate-dipped watermelon slices to Chapter 21's reviewers:** the weird kid, Midami Uchiha of the sand, Flightfoot, LinaLina-chama, Icetiger 13, Rivendell101, AKAAkira, EternallySky, ASTRIDINES, KaUiA, Meandor711, Kora Bloom, majorfaxandfanglover123, x KawaiiAngel x, Brian6330, psycowithespn, LoreilDarksky00, Amulet Misty, hideki411, MoonCastic, LoveLife45, Sashu, xTwilightxDestinyx, KHfan22, kh3masterfan, Sora's GuardianAngel, SasuSaku'sLittleGrl, kitty-gurl1, Transitions End, Tsuraya-chan, EYES to LIE, ventus4ever, ImInactive, Sound-is-Silver, CerberAsta, Lil'pineapple, SillySally, MHplayer749, Strokes of Everything, Tanokki, Raindrops, PrincessDripDrop, Miko A. Kimura, Kyara313, Roxas33, truthlieslovestars, Jace, Empathetically-Lithe, VanillaCookiesxD, Kairi9898, Q-A the Authoress, TenchiSaWaDa, Luna Enchantment, yume824, the ultimate kh fan, KairiXPrincessXofXLight, Flower5450, becksterRES, LittleKeybladeNinja, PKAquaFlame, StattStatt, 13NeverForget14, and Scattered Rose.

You're all awesome~

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